Upon a Flash
by Rakusa
Summary: She had thought she was just caught out in the rain. When it became so much more than that, she clung to the only one she could.
1. Part 1

Title: Upon a Flash (Probably going to change it eventually)

Author: Rakusa

Date: 22 October 2009

Sum: She had thought she was just caught out in the rain. When it became so much more than that, she clung to the only one she could.

An: So I've been naughty, and I know, that this will be getting me a lot of flack especially when I have more important things to be taking care of... like other stories that I have started and put out there for you all to enjoy. But the problem is.... see.... I really wanted to read this one story the other day, about these things, and I just couldn't find it, so I thought maybe I'd made it up, and so I figured, might as well make it up! Tada! This though however has also welled from all the false hopes I had to go down and get annoyed at.... honestly how many stories has Motoki getting fed up with the duo and devising a way to get them together? I'm no so against the getting them together bit... but the whole, lets lock them in a closet, or trapped in an elevator or stranded on a beach with no clothes is a little over redundant. Honestly people! Hahaha... so what am I giving you? Something so very similar! (All done in good cheer!)

AN2: on a side note, I wasn't sure if I was going to make this a senshi fic or not until the end of part 1. So I purposely left it vague, but I decided, why not? It feels wrong without them, even if sometimes it just works better that way. :)

Part One

The weather broadcasts were all saying the same thing, and Chiba Mamoru rolled his eyes, no matter where he went, he heard the news. He was trying to make his way back to his apartment, but with the subways shut down do to power failure he was forced to walk the rest of the distance as he'd forgotten his wallet at home. Of all the days! He should have just headed straight to the arcade, it would have cut his travel time in half, but he thought he could make it home, but already the wind was picking up and people were abandoning the streets. He doubted the Crown would be open, even to let him in, Motoki was probably with his family at home, sitting around a fireplace, drinking hot chocolate and telling stories with them. All of it sounded like a lot of fun.

Mamoru burrowed down deeper into his jacket, at least he had remembered this, and his keys. He'd be out of luck otherwise. Everyone should be home with their families during this kind of weather, it offered them the only protection they needed, a reassuring hand at their back and some kind words about how it would all be over soon.

As he headed around a corner, he caught sight of a gangle of girls he typically saw. Except they were one short, their ring-leader it seemed at times, as she was the one who brought the strange group together. Never in his life had he seen a more convoluted pairing of talents and personalities. Only the missing blond could have accomplished it though. "Where's the Odango?" He called out to them and the most quick tempered one stopped, the rain practically fizzling off of her.

"Who knows!" She called back. "She was supposed to meet us at the arcade before heading over to my place for a sleep over. Bet you she forgot and headed home instead." The dark haired beauty was livid at her friend's absence. Mamoru could understand why, even if he did tease the poor girl in all his waking hours. It was always just a little less fun without her, and they wanted to share the time with her as well and hated that she was always late. That lateness sprang however from not only her sleeping and neglectful habits, but also by spreading herself out thin to make time for everyone who demanded it out of her.

"At least she'll be out of this weather." Ami admonished, seeing the bright side.

"Yeah, lets get out ourselves!" Makoto pushed into the conversation and with a wave behind them towards Mamoru, they kept onward.

Gale-size winds were picking up, whipping the rain into his eyes, and he had to shield them from the tempest. Yes, it was good that Usagi made the mistake to go home, if the weather kicking up at the moment had anything to say. He could not imagine her out in it and trudged the rest of the way towards his apartment.

---

Tsukino Usagi, unaffectionately called Odango by the two dark haired people in her life, rubbed off onto her younger brown haired brother; was not in a happy mood. First she had been dragged out of her nice warm bed to go face the cold late fall day. The trees were all stripped bare, the fallen leaves mowed up and chewed up by the busy workers along the streets and in the park, removing anything pleasant about a fall day, anything that could motivate her to go out into the dreary gray laced sky.

Her wardrobe had not been adequately stacked yet, most of the clothes she had worn for last year's cold season had been mis-grossly judged to face this years. Not only had the last few years been a typical cool, this year was just beginning and promised only bad things, but the clothes she did have were either too small, as she had grown over the year, or was so worn out because they had been her favorite and had donned them when the temperature started to dip, over two months ago. Together, it amounted to only a few items warm enough to face the weather, and even fewer to be worn out into public.

So she'd been booted out of the house by not only her mother, but her annoying feline as well. She'd sent Luna off to Ami's as her parents didn't trust Usagi to take care of it while they went on a second honeymoon. They also didn't trust Usagi enough to care for Shingo, so sent him off with a friend too, though he probably would come home first every day after school to stuff his face in the left over meals that their mother had prepared and had given strict orders to Usagi only to reheat them, and do nothing else. Afraid that the house would not still be standing when they returned.

It was probably a good thing that Shingo wouldn't be there, he'd be throwing parties, or getting her in trouble, if she threw one. She'd told her parents not to worry, as she'd probably be staying with Rei or one of the other girls every night during their two week trip. She didn't know why they had to go all the way to South America.

Arriving to school, Usagi was already shivering and trying her best to keep warm, her teacher took one look at her when she arrived late, and then told her to stand in the drafty hallway as punishment. Usagi bore it without complaint, as it was a typical punishment for her. She was shaking so badly though by the time she'd been let back in that the teacher just sighed and told her to go to the nurse's office as she'd already missed most of the lecture.

When she arrived late for her second class, being given a clean bill of health and only warmed up slightly in the hot office, she was given detention, despite her protests. She watched as everyone filed out of the building, and meandered over to her class room to wait for the teacher to arrive and lecture her about tardiness. The building felt strangely empty, and she laid her head on her crossed arms as she waited, her cold body, shutting down her systems, and with a yawn, she fell into a light slumber. When she woke again though, the clock told her it had been a half hour.

The building was dead silent. And she gripped about how teachers could forget, how teachers could be late _too_, so why did they give her such a hard time? This one left her here in the school on a Friday after giving her a detention in the beginning of the day. She wandered the hallways, spooked out by the creepy factor an abandoned building this large could always give, no matter how warm or inviting it could be during the day.

The drafty hallways seemed even colder as she went to her locker to struggle into her light-weigh jacket, before it was all she needed, and she'd had to layer it now to get the same warmth she once could. Rei was going to skin her alive, she was later than even a normal detention day and to be the only one given that punishment on a Friday was just her luck. She might as well make her way over to first the Crown, to see if they kept residence there against the cold, and if not, then she'd head over to Rei's. If Rei found her at the temple when they got back, after wasting so much time for her, she'd be even more furious. It was better just to be late.

So that's where she was supposed to be going now. She was heading there, when it started to dump buckets of water on her. She would have made it before the rain started, had it not been for a cranky teacher who hadn't even seen fit to tell her that detention was canceled or delayed for the weekend. He probably had some big thing planned for the weekend and it hadn't been set into stone at the beginning of the day but by the end, was assured of it's fruition.

Usagi snuggled in deeper into her coat. Perhaps she should just head home? But the idea of an abandoned house, with the heat probably turned down for the day, as nobody was supposed to be staying that first night, and angry friends on the other side of town, ones she could be having fun with, the idea of that dark house didn't really appeal to her. She clutched the collar of her coat to keep the water from sneaking in, but it still slid down her neck, probably from the water drenching her hair, which gave it a natural path to follow and settled just below the collar as if to mock her.

It was just rain. She reminded herself firmly and kept pushing forward. There was no thunder to prove else wise, and what did a little rain do to hurt anyone? Yet the rain kept coming, by now her feet were entrenched and it did not matter if her shoes made the 'pluck' sound as she took a step or not, as it was only drowned by more water. The sloppiness was still there, but each step only brought her feet further from the shoes as each step brought in more water to fill them for her. She was tempted to take them off and carry them, they were chaffing her ankles and her toes were rubbing uncomfortably against the front. As she walked, the water slowly rose towards her knees, it couldn't be flooding! She gasped as she suddenly looked up to the sky, to see if it was indeed, but her answers wouldn't be coming from the skies. It was telling her the answer to the question by her feet. It was indeed flooding, and as she took a step off the curb to cross the street, the water splashed up past her thighs. When she got to higher ground, it receded towards her knees again, but it made it difficult to move very efficiently in such deep water.

She held back a strangle moan as she wanted to cry at her misfortune for the day. It would do her no good as nobody would hear her, and it wouldn't help her get through this, it would only blind her more so than the water pouring down at her would. So she straightened her shoulders and crossed the street without bothering to look. The way she was going were all shops, there wouldn't be anything open to beckon her inside to stay to ride out this weather like everyone else. _They _all got adequate warning, and were sent home to their nice, warm, safe beds. Where had she been when this warning had been issued?

Oh, that's right, sleeping towards the detention that never came. The area her teacher preferred for detention was often out of the way and one of the first places to file out as the teacher liked to make the students suffer in complete silence and it wasn't attainable in a nosier part of the school, to distract anyone even momentarily. There would have been no way for Usagi to know about this, and nobody to accidentally run into her to warn her if they forgot anything. They all hated that section of the school, even when they absolutely had to be there. Even the teachers were weary in that wing, so no one ever forgot anything to have to go back for on their own.

She kept her gaze down, making sure her feet found purchase with the ground underfoot in anyway possible, because she did not relish being completely dunked in this freezing cold water. It was a very cold rain, that became a very cold lake in Tokyo city. It was getting harder to walk though, as her body was being pushed upward with her mass against that of the water's own density. She didn't fear for cars, for no one else was stupid enough to be on the roads, especially when they wouldn't be able to drive them.

She missed the curb going up onto the sidewalk, as her body had decided to go up with a minor swell at the same time, landing a little further back than she had anticipated, and thus she fell. She fell sideways as her body lost its balance and fell into the corner of the wall of a building on the street, she knocked over metal trash cans as she went, but she was less concerned about the food debris surrounding her as she was with the impact her head made against, said wall and then the going under of water.

---

Mamoru heard a crash, it sounded like metal hitting against another hard surface, and he veered his path off to go looking for the source. It could have just been a cat, but the amount of noise it created, led him to believe quite differently.

When he finally managed to find the trash can, knocked over, there was a bedraggled blond, forcing herself through and holding onto the nearest fire escape ladder. It wasn't so bad yet as to be completely immobilized, soon kids their age would go out looking for people stranded, to help and move cars as kids loved floods, as long as the danger was mostly over. He didn't think though, that this girl was one of those helpers, perhaps she could have been, but at the time, it looked more like she needed the help that anything else.

The winds had picked up substantially since he started for home, and he was closing in, but it was still too far to take this girl there, if she needed any help. Hopefully her home wouldn't be much further, and she'd just had the same misfortune as he in trying to get there. He tried talking over the winds, but his voice was just whipped away in the other direction, so he struggled against it and the water, no picking up pace as well.

He reached a hand, still trying to communicate with her, and dropped it on her soaked shoulder. Her head whipped around, and he dropped it from her in shock. He hadn't recognized her from behind without the odangoes but now he could clearly see it was none other than _his_ Odango. He tried talking to her, but she shook her head, she couldn't hear him.

So he tried using his hands instead, and she wasn't so opposed as to shun his help. She latched onto his arm, instead of the ladder and pulled him in the direction she'd been heading. He tried to take her back in the way he'd been going, the arcade might be the way she was going, but it was closed and a dead end. She shook her head though and tugged on his arm. She pointed to herself, then made a house in the air with her hands and pointed in the same direction she wanted to go before she latched one hand around his bicep again.

He sighed, perhaps it was their best bet. She was more unsteady in the water than he was, but he wondered if that had to do with her height and the fact that it was now up past her waist and the wind threw her hair back from her head, almost painfully as it pulled taunt her skin as well. He caught it and stuffed it down the back of her jacket. She shivered, it couldn't have been more cold than the water she'd gone swimming in not long before, he thought she'd have more sense than to let her head get below the top of the water, and would protect it first, as long as it was dry, she'd stay warmer. Then again, his klutz of a tormentee wasn't known for her smarts, or her accuracy in footing. So it was very plausible she hadn't mean to try swimming it, but at the moment, it could be their greatest form to get there. When he'd tried to offer it as a suggestion, the fear in her eyes grew and she shook her head widely in the negative before she just as suddenly stopped with a slight hint of pain on her features.

It worried him, how long had she been out there? Alone? What had she managed to do to herself, and why wasn't she with the girls or back home already?

They veered off path to the arcade slightly, and it was when they started getting into the quiet residential area, that the weather changed on them again. Not looking out for their wellbeing or helping them in any way. The rain first shifted to ice, and as it landed, it hurt, and he didn't have to look at Odango to know that with each hit, it bruised, and that she too was feeling the pain. They attempted to run now, but it only slowed them down more, and the water was only getting colder.

The wind kicked up again, and Mamoru expected what was coming and shielding himself from the lashing of the ice. Usagi was not so lucky nor so fast and they cut into her skin in tiny little cuts that blood rose up to meet along her cheeks and by her eyes but thankfully, not the eyes themselves. Usagi squeezed them shut before she had begun to move her arms and the ice cut into the fabric of her light jacket. She stumbled from the mixture and having her eyes closed and Mamoru pulled her up back to her feet, while he used his other hand to use his jacket as a guard.

Usagi kept stumbling now, she couldn't help it, her legs felt frozen in place and Mamoru moved with such assured large steps that she couldn't keep up. She felt his anger roll off of him when he looked behind at her, for she had fumbled yet again and he had kept his hand on her arm to keep her moving along. He turned on her so quickly and pulled her up into his arms. He put the jacket around the both of them so nothing could get in still, but her face got buried into his shoulder and he told her with their close proximity, the words got through, to wrap her legs around him. So Usagi did so and grabbed onto his chest with her arms, she held so tightly he thought he wouldn't be able to breath at first, but then he found that her body was actually giving his warmth and that was what was actually causing the initial trouble, as it had gotten used to the cold. He took a moment to adjust to this new sensation before he headed off again. He needed her directions however if they were going to find her house.

Usagi didn't have much for breath, her throat felt sore and her chest, even with the warmth radiating from his, felt tight. It didn't help that even from her elevated potion, she was still up to her waist in water. She didn't know how he managed it, to carry her and to fight against the current developing around his feet, but his steps were just as assured as they always were. She managed to look through a small gap in his make-shift cape and see the streets that were always so familiar that she didn't even need to look to know where she was going. Now she was a little confused with the slow pace and the unfamiliar sight of water lapping at their doors. The ice pounded at her back, despite the jacket and she concentrated past that and told him where to go.

The path to her house wasn't far, and she wasn't sure if the short-cut would hold for much longer, as it ducked between several trees and the path was dirt covered, but he managed it, managed it without mumbling a single complaint. Usagi buried her head into his inviting shoulder for all of a moment before he adjusted her again, he'd gotten through. The path should have taken longer than that, and she worried for a moment about blacking out but he needed her attention and she got him to get her the rest of the way to her front porch.

He pounded on the door, looking for an answer, and it was then, I remembered we'd be alone. Perhaps it would have been better to go to his place, at least his parents would have been there as a means of distraction. She put a hand on his arm to still his action and shook her head, instead looking for a set of keys that were always in her bag. She looked through it several times, but there still was no sighting of the shiny golden keys with a red usagi as the only key ring. She bowed her head, either she'd forgotten them this morning, or she'd lost them when she fell. She tried opening the door without them, as her mother sometimes left it unlocked for her, in just these instances, but it was no luck. She looked up to Mamoru.

It had gotten too much for Mamoru with the weather beating at his poor jacket the way it was, soon it would completely cut through the fabric, and with the way the trees bowed and scrapped along it as well, he knew that possibility was coming closer with every second. He took a calculated risk, trying to protect the girl in his arms more than his worry for his identity. He was surprised when she did not notice the change in fabric, how what she had once been leaning against and soaked was now dry and crisp, but it too was wetting with the water still gushing from her. Nor the fact that the inner circle between them became that much warmer with the protection of his cape. The cape offered heat and better shelter. Once he was cleared of the trees though, he didn't know if anyone would be looking out their windows he changed back, but to do so, he had to shift the precious bundle in his grasp. She moaned slightly and he leaned down to whisper that he needed her help again.

It was true, he didn't know where Tsukino Usagi lived, but if she lived within the next few blocks, she still lived a hundred times closer to where they had encountered each other on this rough evening, than he did. This only served to put him farther from his place, but he was sure the Tsukinos who could raise a daughter like Usagi, wouldn't mind taking him in for the duration of the storm, especially when he'd just saved her life. He didn't want to leave her either when it finally registered in his mind that if he hadn't come just then, she wouldn't have made it home in her state. He was thankful for the crash in alerting him of her presence and that he followed through to checking up on it. On the other hand, if he wasn't Kamen, the time it would take to get to his apartment if things had started like this before he ventured off course, didn't look too good for him either.

He finally reached their house, the ice was turning into snow as you looked at it, and he cursed fate for making them wade through all of the bad stuff, just to lessen the load when they finally got to shelter. He used the wall of the house as one way of protecting her fagile skin and his body as the other as she searched frantically for her keys. He tried pounding on her door, but there was no answer. Her parents were no doubt locked in at work like most of the residents on the street were. The storm hit just before the break for the day. Only those not in the city itself, managed to close down in time and get home. He hoped Usagi's friends made it to Rei's shrine in time, but he wasn't as worried about them as the girl struggling to find keys that seemed to have disappeared. She was having just about as good of luck today as he was.

She stiffened and then turned sad and another emotion, he didn't want to believe it to be fear- towards him. Usagi's eyes said it all, she couldn't find her keys, and they were stuck out here. "To hell with it!" He grabbed her up, and spun around to take off on the rooftops, when he spotted a tree, he called halt to his transformation, and his pants reverted back into the rain-soggy jeans that they once were. She'd let out a tiny shriek of surprise at his quick actions, but he only carried her to the tree he found.

Usagi looked up the tree's boughs and almost clapped for joy. Her window would be unlocked, she'd used this tree countless of times to sneak in and out of her house when battles commenced. She had never had to climb it as Usagi though, and she looked a little worriedly up at it, but urged Mamoru forward, it was a good idea. He set her up on the highest branch he could reach and then jumped lithely up himself before gathering her in his arms again. He had been prepared to take her to his apartment, they would get there in almost an instant as Kamen, but if he didn't have to drag her through more bad weather, he wouldn't chance it.

Usagi could have turned into Sailor Moon to help him, could have done it and gotten home a long time ago, but she'd thought she'd only been caught out in the rain at first, but when it became much more she didn't even think about it, the only desire was to get home quickly. Now though, with a witness, she couldn't risk the exposure to her friends, and people who could see would wonder why Sailor Moon was going into the Tsukino household when she could have easily gone home after her check ups. There would be too many questions if she'd admitted who she was to anyone.

She clung to Mamoru as he maneuvered his way up the tree easily, and carrying a dead weight on his chest, shouldn't have helped him any. She attempted to get down when he finally reached the branch closest to her bedroom window, but he only shifted her to his back and reached forward to slid it open.

With baited breath, each froze to see if it would work. It stuck a little due to the weather, but it eventually did slide open. He would have to lecture her the stupidity of leaving her window unlocked, so close to a tree that anyone could break in, but at the moment, he was only too happy to find them both shelter. He slid through the window, taking care to set her down first inside. She swayed on her feet by the time he entered, he brought his hand to her shoulders to steady her. "Go take a hot shower, where is the themometer?"

"Downstairs." She answered and headed to her parent's bedroom as he went to check on the heat, it was true, her parents had shut down the heat for the day, but at least inside the wind didn't whip through her and chill her to the bone, at least inside, it was just a fraction warmer than it was outside.

She pulled out her father's drawer for pants, and pulled out a shirt, obviously going to be too big on Mamoru, and too short, but still, it was a change of clothes. She pulled out a heavy pair of socks and layered a sweatshirt on it. She had to stop suddenly and grip the table at the side of the bed when she felt suddenly woozy and started to sway again. She forced the motion away, she had to finish this, but it was with unsteady steps that she completed her task.

She didn't want to admit to Mamoru that she'd gotten a head wound just before he'd arrived at her side, her knight in the cold, and so she wouldn't. He already had too much else to worry about and she gathered up the clothes she had found for him, and took it to her bedroom to set upon the desk she hardly used, but would be in plain sight for him.

She gathered her own clothes, shaking now from the wet still clinging to her cold body and turned right into Mamoru's chest as she left her room. He put a hand out to steady her and looked down at her in dismay. "I thought I told you to take a shower."

"I'm working on it." She glared up at him, he was still bossing her around, and she wasn't an invalid, she knew that a shower was the best thing to do at the moment. She pushed out her clothes to prove it to him, but he was frowning right back into her eyes. "What?" She snapped, she wasn't usually this crabby around him, but they did argue a lot just for the sake of it.

"Your eyes are a little dilated. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Usagi pushed him away with the hand she managed to maneuver out of her clothes. "Who gave you a medical certificate? I just need a shower." She took an unsteady step towards her parents room, there was a shower in there, but she pulled herself out of the stumble before he could help her. "Did you fix the heat?"

"No. It's out, just like everything electric and gas powered."

"The weather." She replied, understanding, no wonder her school had looked so dark, she'd just thought that it was because it was so late and empty, she didn't realize that the lights had all gone out and the only reason she could see was because of the light the gray sky still offered.

"Yes. Where are you going?" He looked towards the door he figured was the bathroom and she shrugged.

"You can use that one, I'm using my parent's room." She closed the door on his face and leaned against it, trying to get her breathing and body back under control. The shivering only increased and she forced her way to the bathroom and turned on the water, making it as warm as she could without wasting the precious store that remained from this morning.

She was just rinsing out the condition in her hair when her knees gave out and she slid along the wall of the shower. She couldn't see when she opened her eyes, but even that was a struggle. They closed on their own and she only hoped he wouldn't look.


	2. Part 2

Part 2

Mamoru finished his shower, and dried off completely in the big fluffy towel she'd given him, the towel itself was very warm and he dallied in getting dress because of it. He should buy towels like these, they were so comfortable and soft against his skin. He wrapped the towel around his waist, and was picking up the clothes she'd found for him. They looked like they would be too big, and he wondered if her father had any clothes from his skinnier days still.

The water was still running so he didn't have the opportunity to ask and he figured he might as well try the shirt. He had one arm in before he heard a thud. He dropped the shirt and ran to her parents' bedroom, he pulled open the door as it wasn't locked and found the bathroom door not too far away. He knocked on it, but the shower was still running.

He tried the knob, but this one was locked. He pounded on the door, but he got no answer, not even the water turning off to see what the noise was or if it even existed outside her imagination. He broke the door down, he'd deal with her outrage, but he'd rather deal with it than what he'd thought happened. The room was misty in the low heat and he could see her form through the frosted glass at the bottom of the shower, knees curled into her chest and tipped over.

He opened this door with haste and nearly tore it off its hinges and reached in to turn the water off. Her face was in the small amount of water gathered, and was still breathing, but was breathing in the water as well. He pulled her away from it, his hands slipping on her wet skin and almost dropped her head first back into the tilted tub. "Odango! Wake up!" He shouted as he searched around the room and found a matching fuzzy towel, this time pink instead of the white he was still wearing around his slim hips, though it too was slipping from place as he moved with rushed speed. He wrapped her in it, it throughly engulfed her and he rubbed her arms as he carried her to her parents' bed. He stripped the covers away and laid her down before bundling her up in those as well, her form was shaking so badly, now out of the heat of the bathroom. He laid down next to her and pulled her close. He used his free hand and opened one of her eyes. It was fully dilated and he swore, he tried to get her to _wake up_. He shook her, poked her in the side, anything that would stir a reaction out of her. How could she not tell him about the head injury? No wonder she didn't notice his change in Kamen out there, she'd passed out without his knowing it and only when he'd shifted her weight had she come to again.

The fear that gripped him in this moment, when he wasn't sure if she'd fallen into a coma or not, was thick on his tongue. He continued to try to wake her up, he begged her to return, and he took her face in his hands to stare directly down at her. He thought about the fairy tales he'd seen on her bookshelf, he'd laughed at their innocence, but if he remembered correctly, the one theme that seemed to run through all of them, was that a kiss could wake any sleeping beauty and everything was happy after that.

His head lowered towards hers when her eyes shifted under her lids and her face gained tension beneath his hands, the small moan distracted him from his efforts and he pulled away to look at her. She was struggling to lift those heavy lids and he urged her forward with words of encouragement. They lifted to reveal not clear blue eyes, but ones that were close enough, that he rejoiced in just seeing them. She blinked dazedly and confused up at him, and her eyes weren't focusing right, but at least she was conscious, and he'd have to ensure everything in his power to keep her that way.

She was saying something. It wasn't complete, but he caught: "Mamo....-chan?"

Her unknowing endearment, just because she was unable to say the whole word, gripped his heart with hope, but he pushed it aside as he knew it was no doubt short lived, she wasn't aware of it, and it wasn't intentional, it wasn't like she came up with the nickname. "I'm right here Usagi." He agreed, taking one hand away to sit her up against the headboard. It wrapped around her back, and they both realized, even in Usagi's fogged state that they were both still in a state of undress.

"I need to get clothes on." She almost wailed, but it wasn't to the extent that she normally could muster even when it was just on a word. He looked at her worriedly, this was not a good sign, but he had to respect her wishes.

"Will you be all right, if I return to your room, and do the same thing?" He needed to get nutrients into her and maybe get her down by the fire that he started, that was slowly warming the house.

She looked at him, not understanding for a moment before her eyes shifted away from his face to his bare chest and then lower towards where the towel was barely hanging on. She nodded as her eyes darted away and her face filled with red. Now _that_ was a good sign and he chuckled as he pushed off of the bed and caught the towel before it fell away entirely and dashed towards her bedroom, pulling on his clothes quickly, least she fall again or fell back asleep. He should have known something was up when he'd found her, and at the very least when she ignored his concern about her eyes before the shower. She was struggling to remain upright, throughout their time together. He should have just become Kamen then and took her back to his place, at least there, the fire wouldn't have as many rooms its heat could escape out of, and he'd know where everything was and could have taken care of her properly.

He didn't take the effort to care that the clothes were baggy and hanging off of him, nor that the pants she had given him, ended mid calf while the sleeves were better, only ending above his wrists. He snatched up the sweater, throwing it on as he returned to Usagi's side, he didn't care if she finished dressing or not, he'd help her if he needed to.

---

Usagi buried herself under the covers, her face was flaming hot as she realized as Mamoru bolted for the door, that they had both been naked in the same bed. He obviously saw her undressed before wrapping her in a towel and carting her off to the bed. He was obviously disgusted by her as he couldn't wait to get away soon enough. She eventually managed to drag herself out of the bed, she was still unstable but she knew she had to wear something, he'd be back soon, no doubt worried about her blacking out like she did in the shower. Damn her body and its reactions. Nobody else would be so weak, Rei would have gotten up and would have been able to take down a youma before going off to sip lattes with a board meeting. Not that Rei had board meetings, at least, not really, but it wasn't the point. Makoto could have done the same thing and then cooked a hundred meals before going to sleep peacefully and waking up early the next day. None of the girls would have slowly risen to their feet and then clung onto an escape ladder, needing to be saved. They all would have brushed it off as if it were nothing, it was just a head injury and continue on.

Usagi didn't realize how bad the injury was though until she was slipping her shirt over her head, and her hand brushed the bump that was protruding from where it had met the corner of the building. When her hand drew away and smoothed down the tank top, the first layer in her arsenal, she realized her hand came away with blood. It wasn't a lot of it, but when she looked over at the pillow on her parents' bed, it too was stained with the red liquid. She quickly turned it over, before Mamoru could see it and washed her hand off in the sink before returning to her pile of clothes. She had one leg into her pants, thanking anyone listening for at least having her underwear, bra and shirt already on when he came flying back in.

He didn't say anything as he caught her underneath her armpits and sat her down on the edge of the bed, helping her put her feet into the pant legs. They were a pair of sweatpants she wouldn't wear outside for the life of her, but looked so warm and inviting when she pulled out her drawers. When his warm hand encountered her cool flesh of her calf, he looked up at her with a frown before helping her stand and wiggle into them. He probably thought she'd fall over had she tried it on her own, and in some cases that was true, and with the way she was feeling, he was probably right. He pulled on shirt after shirt over her head until she looked like she was sixty pounds heavier with all the weight and bulk of the shirts and sweater.

"Do you have a first aid kit in the house?" He asked, picking her up, despite the added weight, bridal style into his arms.

"I think the kitchen." She knew it was there, she'd had to dig into it the rare occasions an injury had gone unnoticed by her observant friends. She didn't want to get him alarmed though, but it was probably easy to shrug off, as she wasn't the most graceful person in the world. He nodded and pulling off the blanket from her parent's bed, brought her downstairs. There he settled her in front of the fireplace and wrapped her up in every blanket he could find before heading into the kitchen.

He came back out with the box and a couple of towels. Some were wet. He dabbed at her face, it stung but it would keep the infection from setting into the minuscule cuts. "Do you have any other injuries that might have happened out there?"

Usagi hesitated before reaching up and parting her hair, they both winced at the action. She figured if he was going to be doing this anyways, he might as well do it now. He leaned forward and inspected the cut, apparently it wasn't too deep but as he cleaned it out, she wanted to shrivel up and away from the antiseptic. "You'll need a shot. The water and the stuff in it were probably bad for such an injury and it could infect it in other ways." He quickly finished taking care of her head and held up an ice pack to it, a shiver went through her body. "I know, I know, but it'll help with the swelling. Do you need another blanket?"

Usagi's eyes were a little foggier than when he'd brought her down and he shook her shoulder suddenly that her eyes snapped back to only that slightly too much dilution instead of her about to faint face. "What!?"

"You cannot close your eyes, do you hear me?" He was in her face, making his demand known and she nodded unwillingly. "Good. Now I'm going to go get your medicine lined up. Hold this here."

For good measure, he dropped another blanket onto her already growing mass, and this one, he dropped around her shoulders, and locking even the arm she held up into its warmth. "Where have you found all of these?" She mumbled, her eyes growing heavy with the weight and warmth, but snapped them open again to look at him. He was frowning down at her, unsure if he could leave her, but she tried to reassure him. "I won't close my eyes."

He nodded at the almost promise and disappeared again for a few minutes, trying to sterlize anything that would be used on her. "Where are your batteries, flashlight and radio?" Any household would have these things, he did and he lived with a community of people but none ever bugged him on his top floor loft.

"In the basement, want me to go get them?"

"No!" He called out, and almost hurt himself in the process when his head whipped behind him to stop her. "It can wait, it has too, the basement might have flooded." It was cold, dark and damp down there anyways no doubt, all things he didn't want Usagi getting involved in at the moment. He opened the fridge, expecting to have to rummage around in it to find something suitable to eat, but instead found weeks worth of food. He chuckled, it looked like something Motoki would do with Makoto's help, create a lot of food at once, so he wouldn't have to deal with it later on when he didn't have the time to cook.

He took one of them out and threw into the microwave as the directions stated, with Usagi's eating habits, she'd no doubt finish most of it herself. Then realized that the microwave didn't work either, and cursed how dependent they all were on the household supplies and electricity. He would just have to put it on the fire, and hope it didn't burn. He found a bunny hand-hold timer and twisted the nose around until it was facing the direction he wanted and then let it go. It kind of looked like Usagi's namesake. He was chuckling again as he came out to her and her face fell as she saw the needle. She held out her hand, waiting for it, but refusing to look. He shook his head and sank onto the couch on his knees again beside her and removed the hand holding the ice pack. He carefully inserted the needle and pushed the liquid into her body. It was too late to ask her if she had any allergic reactions to any medicine, though, if she did, no doubt her parents wouldn't keep it around.

He replaced the hand holding the ice pack, but the hand was cold to the touch. "Why won't you tell me when you are feeling cold?" He wrapped her up and pulled her against his chest, rubbing her arms and back. He took the ice away from her and held it himself. "I can't help you, if you won't communicate."

There were tears in her eyes as she looked up at him. "Because if I do, I fear I will cry."

"I've seen you cry before." He reminded her gently and held her closer. "I need you to be able to tell me when something's wrong, you could have died in that shower if I wasn't here. It's important to keep the lines of communication open."

Usagi sighed and leaned her head against his chest. She reached forward and bundled her hands between his shirts, fisting into the bottom layer, but protected by the top and laid there, staring at the roaring fire. "I'm just a little cold." She admitted, despite the layers and warming fire. "I think the ice is causing it."

Mamoru nodded and took the pack away, the swelling would have to go down on its own, and the pain that would come soon, could be combated by the Advil he'd forced her to swallow once it kicked in. He'd made a calculated risk with the Advil, but he couldn't watch her in pain and he almost sighed when she snuggled into his chest, becoming comfortable, and with the heat, it was comfortable for him too. He sighed and almost fell asleep himself, being wrapped up in so much warmth, it was only when she couldn't fight back the small tremor that he realized that she was sick. There wasn't much he could except to continue holding her and making her drink water.

That's when he realized that he'd put food in the fireplace and the timer was beeping at him that it was done. He shifted the bundle on his chest and she made a sound of protest. It was too warm under her with all the blankets and fire lapping heat at them. He kept her wrapped up but carried her into the kitchen and set her down at the table. He filled a glass with water, and made sure it wasn't compromised by the weather outside, he turned his back on her, so he could purify it with a little bit of magic that he had discovered not long ago. It turned a dark gold color for a moment before it lapsed back into its clear color, if it had turned purple, it might have needed extra work, but it was pure.

He set it in front of her with the stern order to drink it. Mamoru went to go retrieve the food before it burned and despite the pot holders he was complaining by the time he got back into the kitchen and dropped the pan onto the stove. "Ouch, hot!" He shook his hands out and tried to cool them down. They wouldn't have burnt. He glanced back at Usagi, to ensure she was awake, and then returned to his task at hand, thinking about her as he dished food onto two plates. When he sat down across from her, she was lost in the blankets but at least she finished the glass. He filled it up again and started into his food. He was half way through his helping when he glanced at hers, she was sipping the water, but only pushing around her food. She hadn't touched it otherwise.

"Usagi, eat, it'll return some of your strength." He'd never known her to refuse food.

Her nose scrunched up. "I don't know if I can eat it. My stomach doesn't feel that good."

"At least eat a bite, you can have more later." Mamoru snagged her plate and propped a bite on a fork. She reluctantly ate it and then he put the plate back in the middle of table so she'd have access to it. He finished his portion and then when she still hadn't bothered with it, he wrapped up her plate and put everything back in the fridge. "Are you feeling any better?"

She nodded sleepily. "Yeah, I'm not shivering anymore." Usagi watched him come over and and put a hand against her forehead, she didn't feel like she had a fever, he feared for pneumonia at first but it was probably going away since she wasn't out there _long_ enough. He nodded and scooped her up again, she was still a little cold, but going back in front of the fire place would help. It was only ten o'clock, surely her parents would be braving it to come home, but maybe they were still stuck there, until the power would come back on again. There had to be back up generators in those kind of places.

"Have your parents called yet?" He asked, setting her on the couch and squatting in front of her.

"No, the power's out, remember?" He nodded and she went on. "Besides, it's doubtful they realize what's happening yet. They're probably still on a flight to South America."

"They're gone?" Mamoru questioned, gripping her upper arms.

"Yeah, for two weeks." She mumbled, waking up again with his intensity, her eyes just looked tired now, most of the dilution was gone but it still lingered. "Why?"

It made so much more sense now why there was food stacked up in the fridge like it was. She was going to be alone in this large house for two weeks? Without anyone to oversee her? Sure she was sixteen, but still, what if she'd gotten sick during the time? He realized he shouldn't be one to talk, as he lived alone himself, and so did her friend Makoto, and Rei only had an old grandfather to care for her. Ami and Minako weren't much better off, having parents but not having them around ever. But it clearly showed that Usagi didn't know what to do to manage on her own where everyone else had learned because they had to. He probably wasn't being fair, even with the head injury, she managed to get them both home rather than be so confused as to get lost. She was still thinking most clear thoughts, not telling him had been a huge indicator of how unclear she really was.

"You don't have a cell phone?" He questioned as he rearranged her to be more comfortable on the couch while he went to her wet school bag, she wouldn't be happy to learn that all the homework she never did was completely ruined, or rather she'd be ecstatic, but if he was to be with her this weekend, and he was intending to stay all weekend, he'd help her do it. "Where's your brother? They left today?"

"Yea, today. Shingo's at a friend's for the duration. No cell, never really needed one." She settled back into the sofa. "If you're going to have me stay awake, you're going to have to talk to me."

Mamoru frowned, but his words waylaid anything she could imagine it meaning. "I can do that." He took the other side of the couch and propped her feet into his lap so he'd have easy access to a body part to stir her back into the living. "How old is your brother?"

"Thirteen, and a pain in the ass." She responded, leaning against the arm rest and looking at him with a sense of wonder as he laughed.

"I'm sure little brothers are that. I know I wasn't the sweetest kid on the block."

"Who said that changed?" Usagi shot the words out before she could stop and he tickled the closest foot to him. She squirmed and tried to get away as she was being tortured. "All right, all right! You win, I was just kidding!"

He laughed and replaced the blankets over her feet, she was at least waking up more if she could tease him. It was almost like returning to the way they were, but this caused a change, it would never be completely the same, and he knew he cared more for her, the fear he'd felt out in the storm had made him realize it. She had to realize it to, with the way he treated her.

She did, he was just so tender with her, and the look in his eyes when he'd taken care of her, he had more heart than even she had realized. She always knew he had more heart than he showed, that's why she didn't just walk away from him during their mini battles. He either had just great-side bed manner or was really worried about her and not just because she hit her head. He could have acted so differently and taken advantage of the situation, he could have had blackmail if he wanted her to do something for him in the future and teased her unmercifully in the mean time.

He didn't do that, he didn't even mention seeing her naked, had only laughed when she blushed at seeing him in the same state. Now he was finally getting to know her and about her. She tilted her head to look at him. "You know, I don't know why anyone would think you were bad, you really are one of the sweetest guys I've ever met. Your parents must be proud of the man you've become."

Mamoru stilled for a moment and carefully regarded her, but she seemed unaware of what she'd just stumbled into and she was also so perceptive, perhaps it had been one of the reasons he kept her at bay, because if she got close, and she would have, she would have figured it out and he hadn't wanted her pity. It would by sympathy she'd share with him now, he knew that, knew her well enough that she wouldn't pity him and so he rested his hands on her shins, and leaned towards her slightly. "Thank you Usagi. I'm sure you would be correct if they had lived past my sixth birthday."

She gasped and without his knowledge had flung herself into his arms an hugged him tight. "I'm so sorry."

He held her tight, and with an arm he managed to untangle grabbed up a couple of blankets wrapping it around her. "It's all right. I hardly remember them. I know they're watching over me every day, helping to guide me. I'm sorry if I have been a little coarse with you over these last few months with you."

"No, no I understand, it's hard to let someone close when you're afraid of loosing them, especially after you've already lost so greatly." She was sniffing back her tears as she tried to offer him her comfort.

He nodded but held her even closer. "Don't worry about that now. We're talking about you."

"I want to know, do you have anyone worrying about you right now?" She looked up at him so innocently and curious.

Mamoru chuckled and tapped her nose. "I think I do."

"Oh! Who-" She caught herself as his actions became clear and she blushed, burying her head back into his chest. "You will always have me worrying about you, but anyone at home?"

"No, I was never adopted." He admitted, adjusting her so she was laying along him a little better instead of sitting on him in the position she fell in.

"If you were anything like you are now, I just don't understand it." She mused, looking sadden by the idea that he'd had nobody growing up.

"I wouldn't worry about it odango. I don't think I wanted to be adopted, really, I would rather live on my own then have parents again who weren't really mine. I was a rotten child too, I was always being a trouble maker, and when I wasn't I had my nose stuck in a book. It was then I realized that it was probably easier to just do well in school then concentrate on anything else. Books were easier than people." He shook his head, looking down at her with a frown, she was getting sleepy again, now that she wasn't put on the spot and having to answer questions. He glanced at the clock, it was now just half past ten. "How'd we get here? Odango, what's your favorite color?"

"Hmm? Oh... I think black."

"You think?" He mused, laughing internally but wanting to know her meaning behind that, how could she not be sure, and to have such a dark color? "I've seen your room, it's like pink exploded in there."

"Yeah, pink's my favorite color, I guess. But black's really grown on me, and blue."

"Why's that?"

Her breathing was becoming deeper and more rhythmic, and listening to it, was drawing him into that sleepy place as well. "Its... color." He missed everything in there, and jerked her forward in a sudden movement, her eyes snapping open at the action. "Sorry." She breathed and pushed away. "It's just so warm and comfortable."

She tried to push away and take her spot across from him again but he just adjusted her so she was sitting up next to him and kept an arm around her shoulders. "You're right, it is very warm in here. How are you feeling?" He put a hand on her bare skin, it was warmer than before. "I think you could shed some layers." He pulled away a few blankets but kept the warmer ones still securely around her. "Is that better?" She nodded, and he sought for a new topic to question her on. "What's your favorite movie?"

This continued for awhile and around Midnight, she couldn't blame the sagging of her eyes anymore on the heat, though it no doubt still played a role. "Mamoru-chan, I'm so very tired. Surely a little sleep won't be bad?" She couldn't believe she'd been awake for almost eighteen hours. She hadn't slept very well the night before either, as she'd been dragged from her warm bed to go face down a youma.

He hesitated, looking into her sleep laden eyes and then nodded. "We can try it, but I have to wake you up every few hours."

With a pout at that idea she agreed. He brought her, surprisingly back to her parent's room. "Where are you going?" She asked in alarm when he turned to leave.

"Going to go get a few candles to keep this room warmer, don't worry, I won't be leaving you." He glanced around the room. "It's probably not appropriate to be in here, but it'd be awfully cramp in your bed, when we could be sharing this one instead." It was a tease, in a sense, and she smiled blissfully as she settled in, she'd always liked this bed, it was always so comfortable. He came back with a tray full of candles. The first thing he'd done when he'd gotten in and checked on everything was to light a fire and close all windows, lock them and pull the shades, trying to keep what remaining heat there was in, so he hadn't had a chance to look outside yet. He lit the candles and placed them around the room, where they could burn all night, without worrying about starting a fire. He slipped into bed with the blond, pulling her close before pulling the blanket up over them.

There was many reasons he wanted to share the bed with her, first of all, to be close to, second to be near in case he was needed for anything and the third was to keep body heat and use less resources by trying to heat two rooms. He would have kept the fire running downstairs and slept there, but the couch wasn't the optimal place to get good sleep, especially after the day they'd just had. They needed good sleep, no matter how interrupted it would be. He set his watch for two hours and pulled her close.

"On the good side." Usagi was mumbling as she found her way towards him as if gravity was pulling her there. "We don't have to worry about being caught up in a youma attack with weather like this, nobody will be out and there will be nobody to attack."

Mamoru froze momentarily as he looked at her, and he wondered if for a moment she had actually seen his transformation, but then her words set in and he chuckled. "Yeah, it's a pretty good bet. Though I think the senshi are still patrolling the city to ensure it from happening on a smaller scale." Mamoru said playing along with the random thought.

Usagi shook her head, a grimace coming across her features. "I doubt it, it would be so cold in a skirt that short, no, I bet they're all snuggled into their beds. Kamen and Moon sharing one on this cold night in a nice and toasty room, like they always do."

Mamoru chuckled at the image. "I only hope so."

Neither knew how close to the truth Usagi's words were, only knowing half of the secret, not realizing that despite never sharing a bed before, and it wasn't exactly toasty, Kamen and Moon were in fact sleeping in the same bed together this night.

EAN: So it didn't work out exactly like I was planning it was supposed to be more of a spoof, where they got locked in together, but didn't solve anything as in the beginning they just argued, then afterwards they just sat apart glaring at each other or the ceiling. When found nothing had been resolved, and they continued the same way they usually did, because it wasn't long enough and they knew they'd been set up. That obviously didn't happen, because I was conflicted in which story I really wanted to write. So this is what you've gotten... And with probably one or so more parts coming up! ;P


	3. Part 3

Part 3

AN: So Princess Destiny is my hero! I was reading one of her fics, and I caught a line she wrote about herself, and it said she'd written 130 fics, and I was like "hell yah!" I don't feel so crazy any more for putting so many out there. Except.... she's finished all of them, and they're all way good. Oh well, I just have to keep going until I get to the same point! Hahaha! (Wouldn't you like that my pretties?)

"Go away." Usagi mumbled, pushing the hand away that was on her shoulder, shaking her. She only recognized that her body was rumbling and she was having a nice dream about Kamen and her sharing a day at the beach. It was her, he was sharing it with, and not Moon, and as she slumped back into her dream, even his costume seemed ridiculous for the occasion, and started melting away to revel his true identity and long tan limbs and a muscular chest.

"Come on Odango, you need to open your eyes for me."

"Isn't it enough that I surfaced for you." She clenched her eyes tightly and tried to bury back into the hard pillow. This was the eighth time it seemed that she'd been rudely pulled from sleep, she understood it was to make sure she was all right, but if she hadn't fallen into a coma yet, she doubted she would if he missed a few hours of waking her up. "Aren't you tired?"

He chuckled. "I suppose you're all right if you're being so lippy." He didn't stop shaking her though. "Last time, just let me see your eyes."

Usagi forced them open, holding him to that promise, it was probably already eight in the morning, but she could probably squeeze in another couple of hours, especially because it was Saturday. Did she ever mention how much crap that was? The weather dumping on them on a Friday, so she wouldn't get a day off of school for her misery.

He was laughing again, perhaps she'd said that last part out loud. "Sorry, you just look so annoyed right now. Remind me never to wake you up in the morning."

"Fine, don't wake me up in the morning. Good morning, I'm going back to sleep." She huffed and buried herself into the pillow that was a little harder than she remembered. She poked it and realized it was his shoulder. She turned a glare at him.

"Sorry." But he didn't look too sorry. "I removed it earlier to try to wake you up. Want it back?"

She shook her head, pushing him back into the bed, and using his chest as her pillow again, it was more comfortable than the pillow was anyways. "Go back to sleep Chiba. It's too early to be so peppy." God, if she didn't know any better, she would think he was a morning person, but she did know better, although he woke up ungodly early every day, he wasn't someone she liked dealing with until he got his coffee, which she'd usually managed to run into him as he was heading to the arcade for his second cup. As they had no power, it wasn't likely that he could make coffee, much less have one and then go to the arcade for his second blast of pick-me-up. So why was he so wide awake and not grouchy? She hadn't slept well when she was woken up, the time between that though, she was fine, better than normal, perhaps he too was feeling the benefit of a good mattress, but his sleep was as interrupted as hers was.

She'd never know it, but Mamoru had managed to score some coffee, he'd found a camping supply coffee pot in her brother's room, as he had just gotten back from a boy's weekend in the mountains and had yet to unpack his supplies. Mamoru managed to figure out how to make their coffee, it was disgusting, instant stuff, but he'd managed and poured the hot water into the ground beans into a flask after heating the water in the fireplace. Mamoru supposed though that Usagi was right, there was no reason to be awake so early as he had no intention of going anywhere, and he just laid there, letting her catch a few more hours of sleep. He'd promised it was the last time, but he'd said that before, and it would be the last time he made her open her eyes, she was getting better, and she was probably ok to sleep for more than a few hours, but he wanted to make sure. Tonight he'd let her sleep the whole night through, but until the first twenty-four hours were passed, he would keep a close eye on her. She didn't know it, but he had actually missed a shift, and he grated himself with it and renewed his efforts twice-fold, making it every hour instead of every two. What if that miss had been the time to send her into a spiral motion? He'd already feared it when he couldn't wake her that first time out of the shower, and he didn't want the panic to return again.

His mind drifted and despite the caffeine, he too eventually fell back asleep for a few hours with the girl laying over his chest. Her warmth seeping into him, it was a wonder that the night had been so warm even with only a meager amount of candles to heat their space. Though, then again they were closely wrapped up in one another.

---

It was strange, but the dream disappeared as soon as she fell back asleep, unable to catch it again and unmask her suitor. She supposed it was for the best. As if she hadn't seen enough water in the last few days, that she needed to go swimming in the ocean, something that was infinitely deep and just as big. She'd never surface from that if it decided to weigh down upon her.

Instead the new dream that followed her back into slumber was one of sunshine still, but she'd found herself in a rose garden. All types of roses grew in the green house with the sky-light, and in the center was a small clearing of the softest grass she'd ever felt. This dream, while magical, was missing key factors, one, was that it felt more disconnected, less real than her dreams tend to feel like, even the ones with the giant cupcake that she'd latched herself onto last week had that sensation. The second thing was quickly rectified as her mind conjured it. There was nobody else, and her dreams tended to include the male specimen Kamen more frequently than any other male in her life. The obvious exceptions being those like the giant cupcake one and nightmares.

This shouldn't have been a nightmare, no matter how badly she was feeling, or how feverish, she'd never had a nightmare that started off so peacefully. She inhaled the sent of roses, trying to relax herself, and was surprised at how sharp that sense was compared to the rest. She knew Kamen smelt like the roses he threw, but never before had it lasted so long or forcefully in her dreams or memories. She rather liked the overwhelming smell, but it was different than she thought it was too. She had never noticed the slightly muskier sent, the one that also housed something that vaguely reminded her of chocolate. She realized with a start that chocolate was being waved under her nose by a bare hand.

She turned quickly, hoping that her Kamen from the earlier dream was continuing his state of undress for her, but was instead greeted by another male. Who held the chocolate to her lips, tempting her with the heady aroma. He plunked it into her shell shocked gaze and his fingers lingered in the warm confines of her mouth as the chocolate melted thickly on her tongue.

He pulled away to offer her a smile, and she knew she had to be dreaming, because Chiba Mamoru never smiled like that, and he definitely never smiled like that at her or in her presence. She stumbled backward, and fell over the picnic basket that had just arisen form the ground and onto the checkered blanket, her backside plunked down onto.

Mamoru was frowning slight as he gazed down at her, the chocolates in his hand receiving a small glance of disapproval before he set it aside and joined her on the rug. They just sat there, staring at each other, the entire dream, similar to moments that she and Mamoru had shared on the couch, when their tongues had started them down the path of arguing. That wasn't so hard to handle on either of their sides, they were used to it, it was when emotions started to change, and they became almost tender with each other, they had frozen up and just sat there, glaring. Well, glares then became stares, and neither of them wanted to voice anything to change the ability to look at each other for the first time without attacking the other verbally. It was then that one would find a sarcastic comment and let if fly. The rest of the time, she'd start to nod off, and he'd ask her questions about herself and he'd return the favor. It was a weird mix of getting along, and slump back into their norm. Usagi, staring at the vision she'd created of the man in front of her, wasn't sure which one she preferred. It was actually a lot of fun arguing with him, trying to best each other but never really doing so. Despite all his genius, she could argue with the best of them.

He knew it too, which is why he no doubt continued their sparing matches so regularly. It was kind of their bird song to each other. It drew them towards each other, just as it was now drawing her towards him now and how he was drawn to her out in the storm. They just didn't know it.

Usagi stared at this Mamoru and not the one that held her, even now. He was perfectly right, and he was content to just stare at her as well. The way his hair fell into his stormy eyes, drew her hand up to push away the fallen dark locks. His hand caught hers as she tried to draw away and he pressed a tiny kiss into her palm. This foreplay was similar to the one they used with their words, it heated her up, made her energetic and wanting more.

Usagi pulled her hand away, as if scalded, she did not want more of Mamo-baka. She'd had enough of him as it was, she was glad for the change of pace, knowing now how he could be kind as well. The Mamoru in front of her was glaring at his hand, and then looking up at her with a sense of curiosity. He opened his mouth, but Usagi beat him to the punch and woke up.

She woke with a start, staring at the ceiling, not understanding what she was looking at. She was feeling rather warm, especially on her side and where there was a heavy arm draped across her. She knew it was Chiba-baka and with the heated ideas still in her head, she pried it away, so she could stand. She was a little off kilter after sleeping so long and so disoriented through the night, but she knew she couldn't let her frustration and confusion from the dream affect the way she was feeling towards the man. He slept so peacefully, a slight frown on his lips as he curled over into the spot she vacated and pulled the blanket up over himself, probably missing the warmth she'd echoed back at him.

He'd helped her so much, and hadn't done anything to embarrass her, except feed her own active imagination. Her lips twitched a little at that thought. His chest had filled her vision, no wonder she had been dreaming of Tuxedo Kamen form magically undressing for her in her dream. She had been given a glimpse of a very nice male chest just before that very night. She walked towards her room, hoping for a change of clothes, these were very comfortable, but she felt like a bum living in the same outfit for almost two days in a row. She kept a steadying hand drifting along the wall, just in case, but had no real use of it.

She pulled on a pair of jeans and kept the sweater and layers, they were the best she had, and even with the fireplace, the cold still seeped into the house, her room was a perfect example of that. She wandered over to her bedroom window to look out to see what the weather had done while they were so wrapped up within the house. A scream bounced off the walls and Usagi realized belatedly, that it had come from her, and her savior had no doubt awakened because of it.

---

Mamoru jerked, the spot he had gravitationally shifted towards was now cooling and he groggily looked around for the source of his awakefulness. He did not recognize the room at first, that was how submerged he was in his dream, and what a dream! Then reality set in as the settings filtered into his mind, and why he was there. The cooling spot to his side, was the absence of a blond girl who had been his heater, despite herself being cold. They had bounced the heat back and forth, only warming each other in the process.

It was her missing from where she was meant to be, where he was to wake her in another hour, that had him startling up to a standing position. Where had she gone? And in what state? He clambered over the bed and rushed into the hallway at a speed a little faster than what humans were capable of. His eyes darted towards the bathroom and down the stairs, however his search was short lived as he realized her bedroom door was wide open, something he had made sure would be shut, so as to not loose any excessive heat.

He took to her room, more slowly this time and realized that the girl he was looking for was staring completely still, out of her window. Or rather, she would be, had it not been filled with white powder. He chuckled and went to her side, removing the death grip she had on her curtains, but when she refused to budge, he went over to the second story window and pried it open. It wanted to move less than it had the night before when they were trying to get in. He forced it to cooperate this time and with extra strength moved the window from its frozen place.

The snow poured in.

He hadn't been expecting that and jumped back, knocking Usagi over in his haste. She fell to the floor, still wide-eyed at the stuff she was completely baffled by and jumped to her feet, shutting the window firmly and locking it for good measure. "Sheesh Chiba! I thought you were trying to keep the heat in the house! What are you doing, wanting all that snow in here, instead of out there?"

"You're one to talk, opening the door to a room and leaving it wide open! That's the easiest way for heat to escape."

"Good thing snow is an insulator and we have a fireplace then! Otherwise by your logic, a window has less to do with loosing heat than a door!"

"Hey pig-tails, miss piggy wants her look back!"

"Satan!"

"Oink, oink!"

"Jerk!"

"Odango, do you eat any of that, or just go around advertising?"

"I wouldn't know, only you seem to have mistaken a hairstyle for food, delusional much?"

"How many animals do you have to imitate? First a pig and bunny, but do you really have to go after monkey and donkey as well?"

There was a finger jabbed into his ribcage and he swatted it away, but wasn't so easy to get rid of the words. "Very funny, but you would know all about the animal kingdom, now wouldn't you, as you spend all your time in the filth with them, you disgusting book worm!"

Mamoru took a step back, wow that was good, she'd turned it all back on him again, even the animal insults, which he hadn't thought could be possible. He sighed, they weren't getting anywhere with this, and it had been relatively peaceful, guess her head injury was over and with it, went their civility, and just when they needed it, as they seemed like they were holed up here, for who knew how long, at least until the snow melted. He gripped her wrist and pulled her from the room, closing a door on the pile of snow laying on her carpet, it wouldn't melt too much, he believed, as the room was like walking out into the winter air anyways and there wasn't enough to do any serious damage to anything, save maybe her carpet.

With a sigh, he realized he'd probably have to do some cleaning later, as it was his mess, and he'd feel guilty with destroying anything in the Tsukino residence. That, and they'd have no more water coming though the pipes, as they were likely frozen. If he unfroze them with his powers, she might become a little skeptical on how that transpired. "Come on." He grumbled when she began to fight him, let's see if it's so bad on the other side of the house. I think the wind might have just blown it in, so it looks worse from that side."

But he knew that the wind was blowing from the back of the house, and Usagi's room was on the side, but wind could easily change directions, especially if the weather was so much worse than they imagined it to be. He hadn't been able to find the radio that was down in the basement with the flashlights and batteries. He figured it was probably a stupid idea to try it. But now, he wished he had at least looked to see what had happened down there and if it was a risk to flood the upper levels. The radio would have announced to all of them what the weather was doing outside and told him how long he'd be sleeping on Odango's couch. It didn't matter that he wasn't actually sleeping on her couch and rather sleeping in her parents' bed with her wrapped up in his arms.

How did they come to this point anyways? Sure it had been comfortable, and sure she had needed him, but he could have easily just put her in her room, and slept on the floor. Instead he'd found the big bed and crawled in with her. He shook his head, before this the two would sooner have started a mini-war probably in a video store or the arcade or a paintball fight in the middle of the park. He never would have guessed in a million years he'd be spending his nights with the Odango, but necessity called for it. As long as the power was out, he'd be sharing a bed with her.

They managed to make it across the hall and back in her parent's room, they had a sitting room off to the side, where it was probably the closest window on the second floor they had to being on the complete opposite side of Usagi's. He pulled back the curtains he'd shut just the night before and froze in a position, not unlike that Usagi had when she'd stared out into a cloud of white. Usagi pried his hand away from the curtain and slid the window effortlessly up, and elbowed the snow outward instead of letting it all tumble in. It broke down, but only slightly, and she carefully shut the window to keep the snow out as much as possible. There was a fraction of visibility on the upper portion of the window, and she strained herself up on her tiptoes to look out. The snow stretched for miles, tops of houses could be seen, but every house was like hers, covered in snow to at least the second floor, one one side, it was higher, and other the other, it was a slight amount lower. At least if they could, they could escape through the roof.

No wonder all the power was out. There was no way that the electric company could have foreseen this amount of snow dumping on them. The top of the snow glistened like it was melting and refreezing, as she watched, hopefully with any luck, the pattern would continue until it reached the bottom of this window. She frowned lightly at the idea of having to try and wade through it, to make sure everyone else was safe. But looking out to what she could see, every house that she knew was occupied usually in the afternoons, were puffing gray smoke out of their chimney. She only hoped that everyone had enough wood to last them the duration. Their wood though, was in the basement except for the bunch that had been next to the fireplace itself. Mamoru might not have recognized that fact yet.

She turned to him, ready to start this day now that she knew she was stuck in here, with him. Neither knew how long it would be, so she might as well start this out the right way. Are you going to start the fire baka, or am I?"

He nudged her gently with his first two knuckles into her shoulder, she moved back with it and out of his way. "I have to do everything around here. Its not like I could trust with it though, could I? Your mother was afraid she wouldn't have a house to come back to if you did something other than put something in the microwave. Seeing as how that's not an option right now, I guess I have to take care of it."

Usagi pouted as she watched him walk down the stairs. Then she quickly followed him, skipping every other one in her rush, and managed not to slip on the very last step and end up on her face, like she always did. She was just congratulating herself when she realized Mamoru was opening and shutting doors. "What are you doing?" She asked exasperated.

"We have no more firewood. Please tell me that you guys have more than those few logs!" Mamoru opened the pantry and scrounged around in it.

"Its not in there." Usagi stated dryly, leaning against the wall next to him. "It's in the basement, want me to go get it?"

Mamoru eyed her skeptically, his eyes lingering on her head, and she knew he was thinking about the head wound she already had. He shook his head. "Nah, I'll do it, you just stay here." He looked towards the door that lead outside.

"That goes outside." She repeated the thought in her head.

"Then where is your basement door?" He looked frustrated at one in particular. Usagi smiled, trying to keep the mocking out of it, but it was too funny, he was staring at the door that was the very one he was looking for. "You have so god-damn many doors, it's like a maze, how do you ever get out of here without getting lost?"

"Why do you think I'm always late for school?" She teased him, before shaking her head. "That's the door, by the way."

Mamoru didn't know why he was acting like he was, there wasn't actually that many doors, just five. He'd already looked through two, and the third one he'd been warned against as the front door, which he'd known, but was too much in a rush to really care about being systematic.

Mamoru followed Usagi's outstretched finger and had to tear his gaze away from the delicate hand to see what she was pointing at. She was making him nervous, more nervous than facing down a youma on his own or Moon's senshi glaring at him whenever he was too close to her. Even though they'd been arguing, she had looked up at him with eyes so blue and so intense, that he could imagine them saying something else despite her words. Despite probably even what she was thinking, he was putting his own thoughts into her actions. He didn't even know what he was thinking, if he didn't, then what the hell could he be nervous about, and why was he acting like he did. If he didn't know, then how the hell could she?

He was probably acting like a maniac, and when she offered to go down for him, he hesitated, his eyes darting straight up to her hair, where hidden beneath all those layers was a welt and blood cacking over the cut, allowing it to heal underneath. What trouble could she get into down there, with things low-hanging, boxes and irons ready to fall over and hit her on the head. No, he'd go down and get the poorly placed flashlights and gather up more firewood for them, so they wouldn't freeze to death. Right now, they were still warm from being in a toasty bed, and having candles burning throughout the night. Their body would gradually cool down and then, they would both be doomed. It didn't really matter how well the house was insulated by the snow, the temperatures themselves were dipping and there was too much air circulation to be anything like an igloo. So he pried open the door and checked to make sure the stairs hadn't frozen over. He started down them, fumbling for a light switch before realizing that it would do no good, so instead he groped the hand railing.

"Sure you don't want me to follow you with a candle?" Usagi asked from the head of the stairs peering down towards him and he waved her off, entering into darker shadows. He was going pretty well, he figured, as he took one step at a time. The water hadn't reached as high as he was expecting it to, perhaps it hadn't even managed to penetrate the walls of their basement. Perhaps it had all melted, and only the snow remained. Though that would be good luck, something neither of them had had in the last few days.

He was nearing the bottom when his foot slipped, not from ice, but from a toy laying there and rolling away just as his foot touched down on it. His hand did not save him as he crashed forward and down the remaining stairs. "Ow..." He groaned as a few moments later he came to, his head whirling with his downward decent and landed with a thud, trying to regain the breath knocked out of him.

He heard a scuffle and he looked up at the light, but there was no shadow blocking it, but he still heard foot steps. She must already be to the point of the dark, if she did not angle up high enough to block out his clear view of the doorway. "Usagi- no!" He gasped, trying to warn her away, he didn't need two of them down here.

---

Usagi watched anxiously at the doorway as Mamoru was swallowed up by the shadows. She was glad he had gone, he could brave the basement, they scared her, especially with no lights to chase away the shadow-demons. But she still was worried about Mamoru being caught by those very same things she feared.

She called down to him, but he made no reply, and continued down his path. She bit her bottom lip nervously, wondering if she should ignore him and just get a candle anyways, and come down with him. She was just turning to do such a thing, her worry confusing her as much as her heart's irregular beat when she was with him. Why did she care about what happened to him, beyond caring about what would happen to anyone braving the dark, cold, creepy basement? It was more than just appreciation for her helping him. It was something that had been developing over the last few months, ever since she'd thrown a balled up paper test at him. When he first turned to her, his eyes stormy in his outrage, and his mouth shaping such exquisite words. It had taken her a moment to par her own outrage with his at the insults he'd thrown her way, as she'd been too caught up watching his mouth move for a moment, and his eyes baring down at her, like she was the only one on the sidewalk, and given his sole, undivided attention.

She'd huffed and grabbed the paper from him, but it wasn't without being physically affected by his heat with her nearness. She'd stormed away, frazzled in so many ways, and concentrated on the anger he'd caused by offending her. She tried ever moment of every day to prove to him that she wasn't as dumb as he thought she was, as the test proved she was.

Usagi froze, halfway to the kitchen's cabinet when she heard a mild oaf and the sound of a body skidding down stairs and then a final thud. She ran back, and down the steps, without even pausing to think of the monsters, of the fact she couldn't see, that she could follow in his foot steps and land at the bottom like him, but she didn't think of these things she didn't think at all. All she could do was reach him as soon as her legs could manage it.

She heard him groan and her speed increased. "Usagi, no!" She ignored him, seeking for his presence, his body's heat, or his words to give her a clue in which way to go. She was at his side in an instant when he'd said it.

His words were too late, her hands were already reaching out and groping for purchase, looking for him. They found first his nose, and it landed with a smack, Mamoru groaned under the mistreatment, his reward for treating her so kindly, was to be treated by her. Anything she could do, would surely make matters worse, he had to rectify this situation immediately. He tried to roll to his side so his feet could find purchase, they slipped across the smooth surface. "Don't, try to help." He warned her, but against his words, she still ignored him, and shot to her feet, only to slip and fall into him.

They landed with a grunt. Usagi laughed nervously, if he didn't keep moving, she'd already have him half-way up the stairs again. "Sorry." She mumbled out not only for smacking him in the face, but also for landing on top of him, and probably injuring him more. "Stop moving." She commanded and rose again to her feet, and planted them so she could heft him up.

He placed his hand in hers and she pulled. He moaned at the pressure placed on his damaged extremity. He hadn't realized it when he finally agreed to her orders, but he had banged up his wrist pretty badly.

She dropped him back down instantly, without realizing it, only wanting to stop him more pain. Usagi dropped to her knees by him and grabbed at his arm, trying to find it in the dark. She slammed her hand against his chest.

"Will you just say what you want? It might work easier." He grouched out at her and she laughed.

"We'll never get along, will we?" She sounded sad but then he felt silk brush his skin, it must have been her hair moving as she nodded forcefully. "Ok, can I have your arm please?" She reached out only a couple of inches and with some waving about on both their ends, she managed to catch it. Instead of trying to do a blind test on him, to see if it was broken, not that she was the best at knowing such things, she went up his arm instead with both hands. Leaving one under his limp armpit, she moved the other hand to his other armpit and then found herself back to her feet so she could help him to stand. Together they managed it, Mamoru wrapped his good hand around her shoulder as stability and they found him standing, he hadn't done much more than bruise himself other than bust up his wrist and actual hand.

"There goes my doctor career." He mused wryly, as he thought about it, he didn't realize he said the words out loud, but she stiffened and gasped. "What?"

"You want to be a doctor?" She was trying to look up at him, that much was obvious, but neither could see the other's face.

"No. It was just a joke. I'm going into bio-chemical engineering." He wished he could see her face, as she remained silent after his comment. "What is it now?" He asked, a little tired of this blind game.

She was silent a moment longer before a word slipped out. "Ew!" He rolled his eyes and tried to turn from her, since they were both down here, they might as well find a flashlight, but she didn't let this comment go alone much longer. "Why on Earth would you go after such a boring degree as that? I knew you were a nerd, Chiba, but not that much of one."

"I'll have you know, it's a fast-paced environment with a lot of changes happening every day and these things can actually cause a tremendous break through for society and does a lot of good."

"But still... a-" She paused before saying it and changed topics. "I'd rather you were studying to become a doctor, at least then I'd only be confused and upset that you'd hurt yourself and your career choice in my house."

"You have something against doctors?" He whispered, surprised by this statement.

"Yes." Before he could ask, she continued with her explanation. "I know they do a lot of good things and all, but still I hate anything that wants to poke and prod you. It's uncomfortable in the doctor's office and they're always asking embarrassing questions and its so bland in there, white walls, white coats. Don't they know that working with people tends to get that stuff dirty?"

"It's for sterilization. They can just paint over or bleach anything that gets stained."

"Great sterilization techniques, those, if they can't get the stuff off, they might as well let it blend into the wall colors. Except... ew, puke colored walls, or worse, speckled!" He felt a shudder go through her as she'd stuck to his side as he started walking.

"You know, I can _walk_ just fine, right? You don't need to try and prop me up."

"Oh, sorry." Usagi backed away a few inches, close enough to be within reach, and he felt touched by her concern. "I guess I'm just used to limping people." She hesitated a moment before she spoke again. "What are you looking for?"

"Flashlights."

"Oh." She disappeared and then came back to him, a light shining on his face before quickly moving down to his chest. "Sorry about that." She was referring to the light briefly cast into his eyes.

"Don't worry about it." He took the flashlight she offered him into his good hand and put it into his pocket before stealing the one she held. "I need you to carry most of the stuff, but you should burden my arms first."

"Are you sure?" She looked down at his wrist, it was turning an ugly shade of purple. "I don't think we should aggravate it more."

"You're only serving to aggravate me. I am sure, now come on. I can carry stuff, just not hold it in this hand." He aimed the flashlight at the boxes in front of them. "Now were are the batteries, and the radio?"

She went around collecting things as he aimed the flashlight for her, but she had it all memorized that she'd grabbed it before he could cast light onto the location and going off for the next thing. His help only seemed to impeded her, so he stopped, and just cast the light upwards, so it would shine onto the whole room in the circle it would reach. He noticed another window he had not realized was there and wandered off towards it. He peered out, but he could only see a clear like-substance, and realized that it had iced over, iced over at least six-inches deep, if not more so. He had a feeling the ice itself probably reached up to the front step, if not the door itself. That's where it had been by the time they got inside.

He sighed, he had known it, and making sure it was true, hadn't made things any better, not when the snow layered on top, insulating the ice, so it wouldn't freeze and the snow itself had done the unthinkable and dumped two stories of white powder throughout Tokyo. Only places outside of Japan would be a good source of information on what they should expect next.

He made his way back over to where Usagi had taken to piling things up and realized she'd laid out another blanket she'd found down here and starting stacking the wood up into it. It would be too heavy for her to carry, if she continued on this path, so he wrapped it up with his free hand and pulled it onto his arm, using the non-injured one to keep it from falling forward. He turned to carry it up the stairs.

"What do you think you are doing?" Usagi's demand reached his ears and he turned his head to the source of the voice.

He attempted to shrug, but it didn't turn out right, and he grinned back at her. "Taking a load up."

"I could have carried that."

His grin widened. "No, you couldn't."

She huffed. "You just stay up there, I'll join you in a minute. I'm almost done." He nodded, intending on letting it go once he reached the fire place and then helping her with the rest, but as he turned to do just that, Usagi had a load bigger than his own heavy one, and was wobbling slightly as she came towards him. He tried to pull away the majority of the load, while keeping his one hand tucked against his chest, it was throbbing madly right now, but Usagi defly avoided him and dropped it on the concrete slab in front of the fireplace with a contented sigh. Then she frowned as she rubbed her back.

"You shouldn't have carried so much. You might have strained you back."

"No, it's fine. Or will be." She turned to him with calculating eyes. "You are the one injured, now take a seat, so I can play doctor with you this time."

Mamoru blushed up to his hairline, but she'd already turned back and towards the kitchen to retrieve the first aid kit. After all her talk of poking and probing, his mind had turned wicked on him, and the idea of her, sticking her little dainty hands where they didn't belong, had him suddenly turning shy. He would have otherwise came back with a snappy comment on her thinking she could get anywhere near him with sharp objects.

He managed to control his features, and the blush died down, she sank in front of him on the floor and gently pulled his hand away from his protective positing of against his chest and towards her. Usagi's fingers were gentle as they slid over the bruised wrist and down the palm. He was surprised at how gentle she could be when she'd just shown she could be strong, and he knew how much she could take down in an instant, just by turning too sharply. She wasn't being patient-doctor with him, the touch was too sensual and kind. It was almost like a mother tending to a child, or a lover caring for the other. He wished he knew how to do the same, he felt too clinical when dealing with her, was it only yesterday? He'd tried to hurt her as little as possible, but she just had a gift with her hands.

She smoothed his fingers away from his clenched fist and he gasped at the pain, her soft fingers froze and he forced them open the rest of the way. She hadn't hurt him too badly, but it was still a shock. He tried to convey that with his eyes, and hers met his for a long moment before she tore hers away, and refused to look at him again.

His other hand reached out and caught her chin, leaning forward, their noses almost touched as she finally returned her gaze to his. "Hey." Mamoru whispered, his breath floating from his lips and caressing her own.

He was too much for her, too close, and she pulled her face from his grasp. He might have kissed her, was so close, and given the opportunity, he probably wouldn't. She was just imagining things, but still, her imagination was taking her too far, and she felt suddenly on very dangerous ground, kneeling before his legs like she was, a hair's distance between their mouths, and his eyes, doing tantalizing things to her senses. She was reading too much into it, this was just like anyone else trapped together, they were combatants, not the ones movies were made out of, the ones that if locked together in a closet would argue to the point of making out. They just didn't get along, just didn't see each other that way. Or at least... he didn't see her that way, she didn't know how she saw him anymore. Everything she had known had changed so drastically in the last couple of days and she was frightened by what this new Mamoru could mean to her.

They were trapped in her house, anything that they did or felt, was not real. It was only an illusion created by the atmosphere and the situation, things would return to normal once they were free. _It was not real_. She reminded herself as she hastily grabbed the wrap she'd become familiar with in using as she'd wrapped her own twisted ankles several times already. She went back to his purpling hand, she'd have to deal with that later, but at the moment, she wanted to immobilize his hand and wrist as much as she could, he'd just have to try and not move it as much or else it would be in pain.

She finished wrapping it and was impressed by her own handiwork. Mamoru echoed her sediments as he gazed at it curiously and almost cautiously. "Good job, Usagi, it looks pretty even and right tension." She nodded as she rose unsteadily to her feet, his close proximity always did that to her and dashed from the room, only to come back with a glass of water and Tylenol.

"How'd you get the water?" He'd asked looking at the glass in wonder.

"The pipes aren't frozen. How else would you have made coffee this morning?" She rolled her eyes as she dropped the Tylenol into his open, uninjured palm. He popped them in before she handed him the glass of water.

"That's right. You're better at this whole not using common things without thinking about it than I am. I always go for it and halfway there I remember. You never seem to miss that step."

Usagi laughed. "I guess it's because I rummage around in the dark a lot. Its a neat trick I learned, it makes it easier when you're scarfing down food in the middle of the night and don't want to be caught stealing the last cookie. I always got blamed for it anyways, but at least I've never been caught red handed."

"You're amazing. I don't know how you manage to eat all that food, all the time and not vie for position against a sumo wrestler."

"Haha." Usagi turned around, taking the empty glass with her. "Start the fire."

"It wasn't supposed to be an insult, Usagi-" He called after her, but he hadn't put much heart into it, feeling bad for making her upset again. He never quite managed to say what he wanted with her, always insulting her when he could actually praise her for something she did well. He always turned her positive into a negative. Like getting a C on a test, she should have been proud, but instead all he could say, was she should still have done better.

He turned to the dark fireplace, he'd expected her to have a black or steel based pit, but this was more rustic and the stones were a variety of colors in a cream to gray. It allowed the home owner to do whatever they wanted to with the walls, not stuck with just warm colors or just cool. Usagi's mother, no doubt, picked out the color scheme and it was nice, the colors were both cool and warm. The walls were a dark orange while the rugs and decorations were a soft yellow. The chairs were a chocolate brown and the accent pieces were varying shades of silver and gray. "What are you doing?" She asked, coming back into the room, to realize the fire was started, but he was looking around the space she'd just entered.

"Thinking on how to compliment your mother for her exquisite tastes."

He turned to Usagi to see her push away the blush at the last moment, and wondered at what she could be blushing about. "I'm sure she'll be quite proud at the comment, but will have to refer your words to the one who'd been in charged of the decorating schematics."

"You had it professionally done?" He lifted an eyebrow in surprise.

"Not good enough for professionals?" She asked.

"No, I was just surprised that your parents would pay for it, as they don't strike me as the type to go for the society pages."

"You don't know my parents."

"That's true. I suppose raising you didn't necessarily have to be by both of their hands. Who was the designer? I'd have to get the number, bet they could do wonders with my place, with no-holds bar financing." Usagi made a choking sound and turned away when he returned his gaze from the room back to her again. "What's wrong?"

"I believe that's the first compliment you've ever given me, but unfortunately, it wasn't aimed towards me, so I guess it doesn't really count." Her shoulders sagged as she responded, and finally slowly turned back around and offered him an over bright smile.

"_You_ designed this?" He asked amazed and she nodded. "Wow. Color me impressed. Perhaps you _should_ do my place."

"No financial limitation?"

He looked her over for a moment, as if debating on how smart that idea was before he finally relinquished. "I'm sure you would do everything right, with or without a financial cap."

Usagi sank onto the couch next to him before her stomach rumbled, cutting off whatever she was going to say or do. She laughed. "I suppose I've been sleeping for whoever knows how long, regardless of it being interrupted constantly." Here she glared at him, and he shrugged innocently, there was no way around it. "And I haven't eaten since, not even breakfast when I did rouse."

"I would imagine you should be hungry, especially after not eating last night, and knowing your normal eating habits, I'm surprised you haven't keeled over yet out of starvation."

She humped and rose to her feet again, to find something in the kitchen to throw into the fire and let it warm. Mamoru sighed as he again broke the small step in the right direction he'd managed by again insulting her. One step forward three steps back. He at least was making _some_ progress, even though it was returning every time to a square farther back than he started with, he might eventually make it back to that point where she didn't know him and he didn't know her. That would be something, as then he might be able to start over again and actually go forward from there. He jumped forward when she attempted to do exactly as she planned.

"No! You can't just throw it into the fire, it'll burn so fast you won't be able to get it out on time!" He set it aside and pulled her onto the couch, by wrapping a hand around her upper arm. "I guess you were groggy last time, let me show you how to do it." If things continued the way they were, she might be the one taking care of him _and_ the food, no matter the horror at the idea. He set it just inside the pit, off to the side of the fire and adjusted the logs so they'd be even further away from the breakable and melt-able glass.

Usagi watched him with a glare. _Usagi, you can't do anything right. Usagi, you're fat and a heffer to boot! Usagi you fail at life and tests._ She was tired of being told the same thing by everyone she met. It especially hurt from him, more now than ever. It had never penetrated her shield before, what he said or what words he'd flung at her, but with being so close, it had weaken it.

He seemed to notice her look, first it was a glare but it melted into an inner look of sadness. "Hey." He brought her out of her inner monologue. "You just didn't know."

Usagi sighed, she'd been caught and she looked down at his wrapped up hand that he still held close to his chest. "I'm just sorry that you're stuck with me and not someone smart."

"I'm not." Usagi looked up at him suddenly and he grinned. "Well... I think you're pretty smart, considering that you've managed to throw an insult back into my face every time I've said anything to you." He became serious as he leaned forward conspiratorially. "To be honest as well, you would be my first choice on a deserted island."

"At least an island would be warm." She turned her head, she'd been thinking along the same lines, but looking into the fire, she had to admit, she was pretty warm here, even without it blanketing its heat over her.

"Not at night." He disagreed, sitting back, saddened by the fact he got nowhere with that confession.

She turned her soft blue eyes in his direction and the corners lifted up at her face. "So we'd be sleeping together even then?"

His twitched in response as he lowered his head once in affirmation. "Couldn't come up with a better bed partner either."

"I could, it would be one that let me sleep to my heart's content without waking me."

"How long are you going to be on that point? You had a head injury, I couldn't just let you sleep through the night, you might not have woken up in the morning."

"Until I no longer find ways to grouch about it, it's kind of fun." She noticed his look and pouted, fine, perhaps she had been milking that one too much. "Fine, I'll stop." She went to sorting out the items she had carried up, before turning her head to notice Mamoru had started to rise to help her, but she got to her feet and pushed him back onto the couch. "You've already done too much as it is. Rest, let that hand heal." She pulled a blanket up over him and he shook his head.

"It's only my wrist, it's not necessary to have to rest, as I won't be moving it that much anyways."

"Mamo-baka, just let me do things my way for a little bit, all right?" He caught her own wrist in his hand and pulled her close so she was leaning over him, looking straight into his eyes. Her breath caught in the moment, as she was only a hare's breath away from him. She tore her eyes away from his and they had no where to go but down and it too was a mistake as she caught sight of those lips. She tried to shake herself out of it, where were these thoughts coming from? Honestly, it's Mamoru-baka. "Wa-what are you doing?" She finally managed, moving her gaze to the point on his nose that almost brushed hers.

"Trying to get my point across very clearly, and not letting you run so you can make things up in your head to try to get out of it." Mamoru released her, and she had to hold herself in that position so she wouldn't fall into him.

"What point would that be?" Her knees found the corner of the couch and she braved looking up into his enchanting eyes again.

"I am tired of our name-calling insults. Can we please try to quit it as we are going to be with each other for many days?"

Usagi took a deep breath, she supposed they could still argue without insulting each other right? People did it all the time, hell, they got along great while doing so too. Except... those were usually couples who only bickered about what restaurant they were going to go to. "I suppose we can try. I make no promises that I won't retaliate in kind if you start it again, Mamoru-san."

"I too will try, Usagi-chan." Her head tilted at the honorific, that wasn't what she was expecting out of his mouth, sure he'd taken to calling her Odango less during the last day, but..._chan_? That implied they were friends. "It's suitable, as only friends would help each other so calmly and without complaining about doing so."

Usagi smiled wryly as she thought about Rei. Rei wouldn't have taken to helping her so easily and wouldn't have taken help so kindly either. But she supposed, friends did look out for each other and she nodded, her hair sliding across his cheek bones and then she was gone with a last tantalizing whiff of her own personal scent. "I think this is a good idea." She went back to putting the piles into order.

"What are you doing?" He asked peering at her from the spot she'd ordered him to stay in.

"I thought since there's been no TV or anything, that we'd need some form of entertainment to help pass the time. Talking can only do so much to levitate the fact that we are trapped within this house. So I got the games up from downstairs, anything that is two player or can be adapted with minor adjustments to help us."

Mamoru shifted as he looked over at her, it was time to break the ice with the thought that had crept up into his own mind earlier that day. "So you're going to whittle away time with games? Won't that get boring after awhile? What else do you have planned to help this pursuit along?"

"Well, manga for one, I still have a stack I haven't gotten to yet, that Mamma had bought me before she and dad left despite firmly telling me I wasn't to read more than one a day. Then there's catching up on all my missed sleep."

Mamoru would have to have sat down after that one, if he wasn't already there. "Excuse me, but _you_ need to catch up on your sleep?"

She sent him a mild glare as she figured that was partly insulting. "Well, there was some guy shaking me all night, keeping me from getting a well-established sleep. But other than that, yes, the night before, I hadn't slept well or more than a couple of hours and its been a long time since I've fully slept my fill."

Mamoru ignored the finally jab at his behavior the night before, it had only been used as emphasis to how very little sleep she actually got in the last few days. He had to roll his eyes, she was always running late in the morning because she'd overslept and even on weekends her friends complained about her sleeping habits. He however didn't make any more comments, he was just curious in the first place, but it made sense that she would put sleep high on her list of priorities, knowing her. "Don't you think you should be spending this time off a little more appropriately?"

She sat on the chair closest to the fire, she wasn't wearing as heavy a layer on the bottom as she was the day before, and he was a little concerned that she was cold. He would have handed her a blanket but she spoke before he could voice his concerns and had blond eyebrows almost up to her hairline. "What way in particular do you suggest?"

"By being productive. You can do your homework and be able to turn it in and with my help, actually get high marks this time." He had to mentally kick himself as her lips twisted, catching but not commenting on the sly insult he'd sent her way without meaning to. He'd have to weigh his words more carefully in the future.

She shook her head. "Please Mamoru, this snow storm is a time to get away from all of that, I do not intend to bog it down with silly homework assignments."

"There's not much else around her to do." He reminded her gently. "You'll get bored with that other stuff, and wouldn't you like it to return to classes and prove to all of your teachers that you can actually do you homework?"

Usagi nibbled on her thumb nail as she weighed the pros and cons, it was an interesting situation he'd presented her, to actually come to class when the snow let up with her homework in hand and brandishing it in front of each of their faces as being completed, that she wasn't just a lazy sack of bones. She sighed as she finally gave into Mamoru's suggest. "Fine, but not until tomorrow, I would rather enjoy my weekend still, as if it were any other. Want to play _Clue_ first or _Pictionary_?" With a glance at his wrist, she held up the box. "_Clue _it is then. I have to warn you, I've never lost."


	4. Part 4

Ch4AN: So want to hear an funny story? As I'd just finished part three on the twenty-sixth of October, and had started it way back- can you see the date on the first chapter? That's right the 22nd, of October and all the ideas were already there and laid out.... on the 27th of October, heading back from class to my apartment, it started to snow at 5 PM and as I'm writing this, at 10Pm on the 28th, I would love to inform you all that it has not let up for a single moment since. (update: ended at 9AM October 29th) That's right, over 24 hours of snow fall. I hope it keeps on coming, because I would love to miss a day of school for legitimate reasons and not because I was catching up on my sleep or writing a paper for another course. Sigh. I can only hope. Speaking of which, I do have a paper due tomorrow..... Just thought I'd tell you my own version of the story that I set into motion without realizing it. Only problem is, that I'm not trapped, and I'm not trapped with a hunk like Mamoru-san. My roommate is the one with boys falling off of her fingertips. Oh well.... gives me more time to present you with this pairing! (I really wasn't going to make this story any more than 2 parts long, but... my imagination got away from me again and it is again longer). You wouldn't have thought that being holed into a house with no electronics would provide so many pages, did you? Ha! My power is at an all time high! Bow to me my pretties and write me my reviews! Hehe, just kidding. Not about the reviews though... that I would love more of.

Part 4

Mamoru won _Clue_, as he won most games. Although Usagi thought she was going to cheat by playing _Pictionary_ but it turned out he was left handed. She humphed, crossing her arms over her chest and looking away and into the dancing flames. The red embers still cooling from where the fire had no more use for the left overs and was only waiting to put itself out. No wonder he said it would loose her interest shortly and would have to come up with something else productive to do, he took all the fun out with always winning. She should have known she'd had no chance, as he was after all a brain and perfect at everything he attempted, while she... she'd never realized how much of a failure she was until this moment. So what if she beat Shingo, he was after all 3 years younger than she was.

The heat off of her back lifted slightly as well as a weight she'd grown used to as always being there. She turned her head to see Mamoru give her blond strands a playful tug. Her eyes were icy as they turned to him, she hoped that she could pull through some of her super powers and burn him to a crisp. Alas, it was not so, as that was Rei's specialty, and she really would hate to be stuck in this house with a charred corpse.

She wasn't really even that angry, just put out at having been bested, yet again by the great and wonderful Chiba Mamoru. It was probably best left unsaid; he thought as he looked at her cute angry face, turned up at him as if she could salvage some type of betterment over him by just that upturned nose; that he wasn't actually left handed, but had taught himself how to be ambidextrous. She'd just hate to know that if his wrist ever healed and they were to play again, he'd still win, as he was predisposed to be right handed. Her eyes tried to bore holes into his being and he was thankful for the fact that she couldn't harm him with just a gaze, and that he had his powers of Kamen to help him if she ever did learn how to unlock that particularly nasty skill.

Her eyes softened a fraction as she too came to the same realization and he wasn't going to shrivel up and die for her. She pouted, waiting for whatever it was that he wanted. "Don't worry Usagi-chan, I think you held your own pretty well there. If we ever play teams, I would want you as my partner, we could take over the world if we teamed up."

Usagi's nose crinkled at the thought, it was pretty funny that she was suppose to protect the world, she couldn't be ruling it at the same time. Then the image of facing off the girls, Ami playing against Mamoru as the lines were drawn, Usagi given to him as a handicap, Minako with Rei, and sticking by the bluenette's side. Makoto had been given to Mamoru as an appeasement prize, so he wouldn't argue about Usagi being on his team and them taking Minako so things were evenly balanced. Then they were all jumping in slow motion as Usagi, Mamoru and Makoto bested the loosing team, hands down and Rei crying pitifully into a dumbfounded Ami's shoulder.

A slow smile stretched across Usagi's features as the image got carried away, Mamoru was doing a victory dance on the table, and it was starting to get way to wild as he was starting to undress himself. Usagi quickly squashed that daydream, protecting the image from her friends' eyes, even if they were fictionally placed within the same thought bubble.

She turned fully to Mamoru, grinning, and he was pleased that he'd managed to take the grumpiness away from her again, though he didn't know exactly what he said to place that smile on her smirking pink lips. She clopped onto his shoulders and practically pulled him from the couch before he could see her coming at him. She was always a lot quicker than he gave her credit for.

She pulled him to the floor with her and sat around a monopoly game. "You can't beat me at this one, it doesn't require any brains, its all chance with the dice roll." He didn't feel like breaking it to her that this one required just as much strategy any of the ones they'd played thus far. He didn't know what half the games were, as he'd explained to her, and then after reading the directions quickly, he got the premise down. She'd sulked after _Clue_ that it was not just strategy but beginners luck.

That beginners luck followed them through several games, _Pictionary_ he'd used his brain as a means of best breaking down the word so she'd have no trouble figuring out the meaning. She tried to draw the object itself most of the time, even when it was a hard word without a visual representation, like when she'd stumbled upon love, she'd drawn a heart and he went anatomical on her and totally veered off path and lost the points. They were playing honestly, even though she'd attempted to tip the scales in what she'd imagined a hindrance, but they honestly guessed for the other. There'd been other games, but he honestly couldn't remember the names of them, she'd been most excited about the two she'd first held up, and those names stuck.

Now he leaned on his elbows as he landed on Broadway, she owned both dark blue squares and had apartment complexes filling up the squares' small space. He'd teased her when she bought the most expensive ones and had ignored most of the other squares, except the railroads. Turns out, she managed to skip his properties every time, and there were many and built up as much as his depleted funds could handle. He'd always managed to land on one of the six properties she owned, while she skipped merrily by on either the corner, railroads, center pay in or reward cards.

It wasn't fair, as her pawn skipped onto the cash-cow, the farthest corner from GO! And collected all of the remaining cash that the bank had as the game had lasted long enough to get so intense as to exchange money with the community funds and leave the government bankrupt. As Usagi had not needed the 200 reward for going past go or the 400 for landing on it, when the bank collapsed, she'd gotten by, where every time he came to it, he was holding on with just his fingernails to gain a small minuscule amount, often broken down into 40s and 20s as she held all of the higher amounts and put the smaller change in for him in pity. She'd only put substantial money into the bank a handful of times and he'd pounced on it, as the bank owed him, and her, but she could do with some charity.

When almost every property rested in her dainty hands, he held onto his plumbing and electric companies as his own sole means of survival, and all the cash from 500 to 5 was neatly stacked in a tower pile, all he had left were ones, ones which he'd had to hand over as he landed on the weakest purple square on the board, and normally wouldn't cost so much, but it too was towering high with apartment complexes and quadrupled the amount it was originally worth.

He reluctantly handed over the remaining cash he had and had to forfeit the companies he owned to pay the rest of his bill off. Payday had come too late, as he'd already owned her that too. It was moot point as she owned everything and he was out on the streets, penniless and property-less. It was almost like he was walking down these streets and he scuffed his shoe against the sidewalk as his hands dug into his pockets, shoulders slumped. It was strangely echoing real life, she had everything while he was left out in the cold, only able to look in.

"Looks like we found your weakness, Mamoru-chan, looks as if you don't know how to handle your money. If you're not careful, you'll be broke." Mamoru's eyes shot up to her, and she quickly retracted. "Oh come on, you're like the richest person I know, and you have the brains to manage a real life situation. Like I said, it was all luck." His eyes looked so pained, it was like he'd never lost, even a game before. "It's just for fun." She whispered.

It was then that he realized she'd called him Mamoru-chan on purpose, and he pushed himself off of his elbows and into a seated position. "Yeah I know. I'm fiscally responsible. I just better not let you at my money or the whole commodity will become yours, as clearly represented." He waved his hand at the board, _though_.... "Although, if I do let you at it, you could earn me a fortune if your real life skills are as amazing at this. Ever thought about going into business?"

Usagi laughed outright in his face. "Mamoru-chan, I know you are an engineering major and all that, so the prospect of working in a business sounds exciting, but I have other life aspirations... other responsibilities..." She died off as she thought of those other responsibilities were, Mamoru reflected he too had other things to worry about than just getting a good grade in uni.

"You could own your own interior design company if this is anything to go by." He mentioned the room again and she winked at him.

"I thought you said I couldn't have at your money anymore."

"If you make me money, or other benefits, like making my apartment more welcoming, then I will allow you the one time freedom, but I just better not learn about you buying an entire wardrobe for yourself or a library of mangas."

Usagi giggled as she finished packing up the game and flopped down onto the carpet so she was gazing up at him. "Maybe one outfit, to showcase the room better for you." She pried, though it was all fictional anyways, he'd leave here, and never contract her to do something that big. He'd probably forget about their moments or at least put it down as just having to find a way to pass the time or go insane. Or they might just have killed each other, otherwise. She kept the dark thoughts from encroaching in her finally blissful moment, she'd won a game, he was right, they each had their own strengths they brought to the table, but in essence, they were equals.

"I think my eyes would be drawn to you and wouldn't see the rest of the room, if you were to unveil it together." They both froze as he'd said the words out loud and Usagi scrambled to her feet, laughing nervously.

"What do you think? Is it time for dinner?" He struggled to get to his feet, but she shot a hand outward. "No, stay!" She scampered off into the kitchen. It took her a lot longer come back out then just figuring out what she wanted to eat. He started to worry about her and wanted to set things back on their normal path, he didn't mean to admit attraction, they'd only had their fragile truce for two days. He was about to wander into the kitchen when she came back out with another platter. He doubted her mother had intended every meal to be shared by the two, but Usagi had assured him that Ikuko-mama had made plenty for Usagi to last for 3 weeks on her own, and then more for when Shingo came over to visit and steal a snack. "What do you think?" She presented him with a... Mexican style dish? He shrugged, it was bound to taste all right if her mother made it.

She set it in just like he'd showed her how to and then turned around to sink into the couch he had previously occupied when she'd made her escape to the kitchen. "Usagi-chan, I hadn't meant it like you're thinking." He swallowed the objection to the lie down his throat and then continued. "I was thinking more along the lines, I'd be sizing each up, trying to see which had cost me more, the outfit or the room. It was a joke."

Usagi patted the spot next to her and shook her head. "I knew that silly. I figured as much. Now, as punishment for believing me to be so callous and spend a ton of money on myself, I get the reward of painting your nails!"

Out of her pocket, she withdrew three different colors, all were a different shade of pink. He gulped and tried to pull away, he'd have his gender preferences questioned even more, if he allowed her to do such a thing. Even if nobody saw it, it was bound to get out, especially if she was telling the tale. He couldn't find purchase with his feet as she pounced on him and pulled his uninjured hand towards her. "Now, Usagi-chan-"

"Which color do you want? I think the brighter one would look best with your skin tone. Off set it and all that."

"Come on, you can't be serious!" Mamoru almost fell backwards over the armrest when he'd finally managed to push off the ground and had measured out the strength needed poorly. She stopped that however, by keeping a firm grasp on his hand, holding them to her inspection.

"Wow, they're clean and tailored." She grinned up at him broadly and he finally settled back into his spot, if it made her so happy-. "Don't worry, I'll remove the polish tomorrow. Nobody will be the wiser." He settled into the torture she was about to bestow upon him and took it like a man, even if the process was ultimately so girlie.

He watched her work diligently and didn't bother to pay attention after she promised to remove it, but it slowly filtered in. "Wait, tomorrow?"

"Yep, after you help me with my homework, it'll keep me from chewing you out." Usagi's answer was smug, as if she had other plans than what she'd just shared with him.

"Who said I was helping you?" He questioned sharply and she slid her eyes up to his face coyly.

"Why you did." She batted her eye lashes before returning to her work. The right hand was a little more difficult as she had to work with the bandage and coming at him with a different angle. When she finished she capped the bottle and blew on his nails so they'd dry quicker. "There. You look so pretty!" She cooed and he almost demanded she remove it at that instant if she was going to tease him. But he had to admit, as he looked down at his fingers, she had chosen the right color for his skin tone, it was with reluctant acceptance.

They ate dinner in relative silence, Usagi had to stifle a giggle every few minutes when her sight caught hold of the hand he brought to his mouth with a forkful of food. He had to let it go though, as it meant that she was looking at him with relative frequency, it made him feel better for sneaking his own glances at the blond nymph.

After dinner, the pipes continued allowing water to flow through them and he washed the dishes. Although the water continued to run, it was freezing cold, as the heated water had completely disappeared in the mean time. He had to pull his good hand away and shake it out, as the temperature was affecting him. "Just let it go." She told him, leaning against the door frame and yawning.

He turned his gaze to her and it felt almost domestic, the two of them in this place. Albeit, a throw back to earlier times, before the wonders of man allowed them to do things in a more comfortable fashion. She pushed her blond pig-tail over her shoulder and it fell to the floor. He turned the tap off and gestured towards it. "But it'll cake on."

"Just put water in it, and let it sit. When we have warm water again, we can deal with it. Until then, it's probably best to just conserve resources. Even though our water isn't froze, it doesn't mean that it is an unlimited supply." She stretched. "Is it against the rules for me to go off to bed? Or is there a time limit on needing to be awake?"

"You can sleep the whole night through, Usagi-chan."

"Not if I need to keep waking you up to ensure your survival." She was teasing him and he held up his busted hand.

"This, is not a head wound."

"It could have been. Honestly you need to be more careful." He waved her off towards the stairs.

"Go, I'll join you soon. I'm bushed myself."

Her lips quirked to the side as she gathered more candles and matches. "Turning Australian on me? Should I put out the fire?"

He shook his head. "No, I wanted to make a cup of tea first."

Usagi nodded and scampered off up the stairs. It was another moment he had alone, in this large house, with only the girl occupying it, he hadn't realized it was possible to escape with another's presence around. However, he had no intention to do so, Usagi was someone he didn't really want to hide from. He had experience however in hiding from people even when surrounded by a crowd, he'd always managed to distance himself off. It was strange then, how when he could be the most alone, with a blanket of snow deterring anyone from joining them, that he felt the most engaged.

He set a pan of water to boil on the fire, and when it was finished, doused the fire, and took his steaming cup up the stairs, the flashlight lodged between his ribs and elbow of his lame arm. He was eager to return to the bundle of energy, even if it was snoozing. He set the cup down and slid into the bed next to her, pulling her against him, and was rewarded when she snuggled in and wrapped her own arms around his torso, somewhere in the middle of sleep and wakefulness. "Thought, I wasn't going to have anything interrupted."

"Then go back to sleep." He bent his head and kissed the top of her head. She mumbled something sleepily, and it was probably another barb thrown his way. Somewhere along the way they had become more in jest, a tease that the both shared in, and enjoyed, rather than harmful. It had started before their strange circumstance forced them to realize it. Wasn't it just the other day, he had been talking to the girls, and had only been relenting on the fact that Usagi was misunderstood and there was so much more to her reasonings than what was presented?

He drifted off soon after her.

The following few days blended together, but there were moments that he'd always remember, nothing could steal those memories away. She too was touched by the memories that the small moments gave them rather than the compilation, she could give details on what made her happy, instead of just a general 'it was good, or fine'.

They were working on homework, all of Usagi's immediate homework was completed and piled into her school bag, they were working on future assignments. She was really quite smart, just not motivated enough to complete the homework on her own when she could be off doing something else, something she deemed more important. She slammed the book shut when she got bored with the theory in physics he was trying to explain to her and her eyes lit up delightfully devious. "So... can you bench press me?"

Mamoru scoffed at the question. "Without a doubt. You weigh less than I normally deal with." Not that he spent an over amount of time at the gym, his other extracurricular activities took care of most of his need to exercise. Although he tried to make it there once a week as a method of training and went jogging every morning. If Moon needed his help while he was stuck here, not only would he be incapable of escaping, but he'd be grossly out of shape as well. "But if you haven't noticed, I am short one hand."

She blinked up at him innocently, now how had she gotten so close? It was one thing when they were in the bed, it was another when they'd been doing something as innocent as homework and just sitting up had caused her to be almost pressed up against him, front to front. The innocence that shone through her eyes though had to be false, as the words following the movement of her mouth had him skeptical that he hadn't just walked into a trap. "Can you bench press me one handed?"

"Sure, I can, but I'm not going to."

"Why?" She was looking at him owlishly, her eyes so large. "Are you not strong enough to handle my weight with one hand?"

He had walked directly into that one and she was baiting him, trying to make him forget about her homework, which she'd been doing on her own as he read his own textbooks. However he'd leaned over to explain a problem to her that she hadn't covered yet in class. He knew that was her plan, but he still fell for it. "Is that an insult Odango?"

"It's only an insult if what I say is something you know to be true."

Damn, she was good! "Do you really want me to bench press you? Where did you learn that by the way?"

"It's the truth, insults only hurt so much if they're based on something you already dislike about yourself, and no, not really."

"Hmm. There is something between these Odangos after all." He teased and she pouted.

"Now, you can throw harsh comments at another person, whether its true or not is immaterial." She batted at the hand that was resting on top of one of the golden balls on her head. "Why are you always joking about the hair?"

"It drew my attention first. I was angry at the time and food was on my mind. I called it as I saw it. I'm sorry if it has annoyed you."

Usagi's pout turned into a smile. "No, I'm just glad to finally know where you got such a ridiculous idea."

"You look like a bunny sometimes too."

"Well my name does mean bunny." The fire licked its heat at both of them, making them even hotter from the close position they were not only to it, but also to each other. Usagi's tongue darted out to moisten her lips, and his gaze traveled down to where she had drawn the attention unknowingly.

Mamoru pulled away, and gathered up the books. "You know, you're right, it's time for a break. What do you play to S_cattegories_?"

She nodded in amusement and he laid it out in front of them.

---

Another moment was Usagi's favorite. The wind had picked up outside, the radio they had had been useless as no one was reporting in the local area and with the insulation around the house, they had absolutely no signal to get a broader forecast. She'd been snuggled up on the chair, reading a manga, she'd only gotten through two so far, and Mamoru had been tinkering with the radio in the kitchen, using the large round table as a his work bench. It would also allow him the ability to concentrate as the fire caused too much heat for him to want to do much more than curl into the couch and pull Usagi against him and read over her shoulder.

The wind swept down through the fire chute and was strong enough to blow out the fire. Usagi was aware of this when the smoke first shot back at her, and clouded her vision for a moment in black soot and then the light had gone out.

Usagi wiped away the grime now coating her features so she could see, thankfully the flashlight was always at her side, and she used it to make her way to Mamoru. Her light only blended in with his so she turned it off, and looked over his shoulder. He was working on making the radio pick up a greater amount of frequencies and try to break through the cloud that surrounded them. "You know, Shingo has the newest type of radio out there, except the only problem is it doesn't run on batteries only electricity."

Mamoru jumped, and when he spun around and landed, their bodies brushed against each other so intimately that Usagi was blushing, and thanking the low light. "What are you doing in here? I thought you were reading! Is it snack time already?"

She'd forgive him his slightly harsh tone with that last question, as it implied it hadn't been asked in honest curiosity. She'd scared him and he returned to what he knew. "The fire went out."

"I thought you were supposed to watch it." He shook his head. "Honestly, it's better not to burn them all down and out. We'll run out at this rate if that were the case." He headed in the direction of the living room and she was right behind him as he stopped to look at it.

"The wind blew it out." She continued in her explanation before he'd cut in. He spun around again, falling back a step and putting his right hand out to save himself. Usagi grabbed his left at the same time. "Honestly Mamoru-chan, one would think that you were nervous around me."

"It's just that you keep appearing out of nowhere."

"I've been with you the entire time." She shook her head. "It's you that is blocking out the rest of his senses." He grumbled, but she was right. He restarted the fire, and when he headed back into the kitchen to continue on his project, it wasn't but a few minutes later that he called her to him. "Yes?" She asked, staying a few feet away from him, least it scare him again, but oh, she liked that power over him, but she didn't want to abuse it.

"Do you think you could find me your brother's radio?" Usagi's lips tilted up as her head bowed forward in a nod of agreement then she was gone. But she could hear him sigh as she took the steps two at a time. "Dammit, don't look at her like that."

She practically cheered until she skidded to a halt outside her brother's room, why would that be a good thing? She didn't like him like that! They needed to get out of this house and clear their heads. But... as she returned to the kitchen with her brother's radio, she couldn't help but stand and watch him work before clearing her throat and presenting the radio to him.

"Thanks, Usa-chan." He smiled up at her gratefully and she melted just a little in her resolve, he'd called her a nickname that wasn't Odango, and hadn't even seemed to realize it. She pranced back to her love-seat and curled back into her book. It turned out that her idea had actually worked, but they still couldn't reach any information, only a classical music station off to their west. It was at least a different noise than their breathing.

Which Mamoru would take advantage of in a few days.

---

In the meantime however, Mamoru was reading his textbook on the chemical formation of three particular atoms, when he glanced up to see Usagi studying the cards intently. He could see her mouth repeating them out loud as if to engrave them better into her mind that way. He chuckled at the sight she presented. It was another game, but it had facts, questions and answers upon them. "Why is it that, that you will do with no problem, will spend hours looking at them and memorizing the details, but when it comes to homework, you want no part of it?"

"These facts are actually useful." She waved a card at him, but when she caught his dubious glance at the box, she sighed. "I suppose it is more interesting when it is set up like this. In a textbook, I just get so bored. That and these are small tidbits and I'm not being forced to read them, rather I chose to do it."

"So if I designed an entire year's worth of notecards in the same fashion, you'd study them?"

She shook her head, blond locks flying everywhere, she'd stopped putting it up in Odangos, as it got in her way when sleeping and usually took them down then or at home anyways for a long period of time. "Nope." She disagreed. "Because then I would _have_ to study them. I'd rather find something out on my own, because it came up and intrigued me."

Mamoru set his book aside, atom bonding be damned. He sat next to her on the ground and looked at the one that had been most recently in her hand. It was asking about valentines day in other countries compared to that in the states, and was wondering if China celebrated it. He flipped the card over and discovered the answer. "These things will rot your brain or take up space with wasted knowledge." He set it back down and laughed at her glare. "It's all right though, there is some use for this kind of thing. But try to study some more." He handed her his textbook, but she refused it. "What, you don't want to read about nitrogen pairing with oxygen and what it does to the life in the sea?"

Her lips pressed together and she shook her head. "Rather eat dirt, thank you."

He laughed and gathered her to his side. "Don't you have a manga to read?"

She squealed and darted up the stairs before coming back down with the newest volume. "I love that you're so easy going after all!"

"Only around you." He sighed when she settled back in next to him and they leaned against the base of the couch, how did they always end up here?" He wondered dryly.

---

The most poignant memory of their time together happened to be one of a not so happy topic. They were sitting opposite each other on the couch, their feet find a way to tangle together in the center. Each were reading a book, attempting to study, but a shift would cause a round of footsie and he should have known better by then to put space between them when she was studying as it wouldn't last for long unless there was space or if he was being a task master.

He felt her foot lift from the spot it was currently in, along his calf and he thought she'd just be shifting in seating position, instead he was surprised to find his book knocked out of his hands as a foot hooked around the binder and tossed it to the floor, thankfully skidding to a halt a few feet away from the fire roaring on this 'winter' day. It was September, for crying out loud, talk about global cooling.

He looked to the culpit, moving his gaze from the fuzzy pink sock to black pants along her shins and thigh, along her front, pausing only briefly, to imagine what was hidden beneath the thick sweater, and then up her swanlike neck to her bashful eyes.

He'd expected her to be playful, trying to get him to do something else, but instead she looked insecure and unsure what to do next. He nudged her foot that was now in his lap with his knuckles. She pulled out of it, looking at him ruefully. "What's up that you'd almost send my book to it's early death?"

She squirmed when his fingers turned ticklish underneath her sock and tried to pull her foot away. He caught her and stopped her from removing herself from his physical contact. "Well...." She dragged the word out, regretting her impromptu act, she was burning with curiosity, but it wasn't like she could blatantly ask him about it, but now she was stuck. "I was wondering if you would tell me about your parents."

He stiffened and left her briefly to retrieve his text book and set it beside his seat. "My parents?" He asked cautiously.

"Yes, I was wondering if you would tell me what they were like."

"There isn't much to say. They died when I was very young." He wasn't looking at her when he talked, and she didn't like it, he never did that.

"Yeah, but surely there must be something you remember."

"I was six, we got into a car crash and I had amnesia of my life and name before that." He sat up straight and they were no longer touching as he made sure that there was space between them.

Usagi leaned forward, capturing his hands in hers, and wouldn't let him pull away. His nails were cracked with the pink paint she'd applied and had forgotten to take off. She'd managed to con him into feeling bad enough after one particularly nasty comment to let her do his make-up. She'd gone overboard and after snapping a picture he was blissfully unaware of, he'd scrubbed his face clean, but hadn't noticed the nails in his demand that she remove the awful contraptions that females put themselves through. The thought side-tracked her, but it also gave her the strength to push this.

"Mamoru-chan, I'm sorry about all of that." She reached up a hand and touched his face with her palm. "You remember nothing of the life you had with your parents? Not a memory, not a picture in your head, a smell or touch?"

"I remember roses, and that's why I grow them, they're probably all dead by now in my apartment, left untended."

Usagi smiled encouragingly. "The smell was sweet, and I remembered seeing them and a woman holding one tenderly. There was a girl when I was in the hospital that gave me one as well when I was crying. She was-"

"Going to go see her newborn brother and mother. Gods Mamoru, this means we've known each other almost our whole lives."

"How did you know that? You were the girl?" He asked amazed, he remembered the child, and the other boy who'd been his friend before, but he never put the two together, the ages had blurred in his mind. She gestured to a picture of her as a little girl, holding roses while in her mom's lap with her younger brother tucked in the other arm, reaching out for the flowers or Usagi, he wasn't sure, as the hand almost touched hers. He chuckled. "People are always drawn to you, aren't they? Even newborns to a three year old."

"No, even a little girl to an upset boy." She was smiling into his eyes and he did something that surprised both of them, but neither ran away. His head turned and he pressed a kiss to the soft flesh of her wrist.

"A little sad boy to a little girl with a large heart."

"I came to you, if you remember." Usagi moved the other hand up to the cheek on his other side. "I want to know about that life, the one that you had before you came back to Tokyo."

"I was never far away, Usa-chan, I was always in Azuba. I just didn't make the rounds to the arcade as often as I liked until I met Motoki at a school event." So he told his story, and she listened with a focus he'd never seen from her, crying even in parts when he'd admitted to the loneliness he'd felt in the orphanage, with no one searching for him. Then one day, it ceased to matter, for he would never be left alone again when a paper ball hit him exactly in the middle of his head.

She'd told him that she was looking into every dark haired child's face, seeing if it was him, but thought that he'd left her for good, she couldn't keep her promise of always being his friend, if she couldn't fulfill that role, she'd cried when she learned that a few years later. He'd comforted her then, reassuring her that he always knew she was out there, and that even when they'd argued, she was the greatest friend he'd ever had, even Motoki didn't stand close to what she could do for him.

It had been the major turning point in their relationship, it had crushed all their ideas that they could just be friends and they couldn't go back to hating each other either. It had open the flood gates into the knowledge that they cared a great deal and that everything they had done during this time only proved how much they were meant for one another. They both admitted, to themselves at this moment, that they were in love. They didn't tell the other for fear of the rejection, the other could run from them, not that they had far to go.

When they held each other that night, they held each other a bit closer, there was a new feeling in the bed with them and the moment was just that much more intimate.


	5. Part 5

Part 5

CH5An: So, we're getting close to the end. At least its vaguely in sight for me, whether or not we get there in one or two parts, or three all are offered up to the muses. However a good thing that they have done for me is to tie this story nicely in with another one I love, wrote, never published and will be undergoing a complete overhaul just like Lapse in Time is currently going through and will be published for your viewing pleasure. I had written that one in 2000, this started out completely unrelated and will be written to completion as if this idea had not just occurred to me as I am a long way off from that feat, and would rather just give you the rest of this as I write it. So, the next part. How am I doing so far?

Things were... perfect... actually. Well, almost perfect. It'd been almost a week they were snowed in and Mamoru and Usagi were acting as if they were married, rather, a married couple who'd been together for like a hundred years. They held each other tenderly, they snuggled and slept in the same bed. They held hands and read sitting next to each other. They'd both completed all of the homework they could possibly have for the next five years and completed all of the text books in the house, even the old ones that her parents had while they attended college. Usagi even attempted his bio-chemistry book, but... she gave up when she was half a chapter into it.

They shared in the duties of cleaning up the dishes as much as they could without washing them, took turns putting it into the fire, Usagi usually got lunch, and Mamoru dinner. They had a routine down pat, it was great, but it was also sad that they hadn't had the excitement of dating or newlywed stage and instead settled into the pattern of an old married couple. It was so boring! Usagi was completed with all her manga, and even the last few volumes couldn't distract her from the boredom she was feeling.

She was going stir crazy in this house, and Mamoru didn't help, he seemed content to continue on this way. Arg, it was frustrating, even _he_ had to feel the boredom, even if he was a recluse, he still got out of the house occasionally.

Usagi darted up the stairs as she'd just realized that she had a fully charged ipod turned off in her room. She popped the headphones on her ears and turn the ipod to the loudest volume and sought out a fun song. Then she sang along with it, on top of her lungs and swayed with the music.

Mamoru was in her door way in an instant, looking around frantically, but then realized she was just singing. He'd been sitting, reading her manga of all things in the kitchen when he heard a horrible screech. Except then as she stopped her rebellion to the situation, her voice actually turned kind of nice. She hadn't noticed him yet as she was with her back turned and eyes shut.

He watched her sway back and forth with a smile on his face, he figured she was just as bored, as he was. Except she was probably ready to crawl out of her skin, as she was used to being super busy all the time, he was just a little restless. He'd been right, they would run out of things to do, holed up in here, and he probably pulled out the homework idea a little early. But watching her, he was glad she found a new diversion, even if it was for only for the length of her battery's life. Her idea gave him one of his own that he stored away for the next time she was about to make a break for the door and digging her way out.

She turned around and jumped a mile high. "Warn a girl!" She screeched at him and threw a stuffed animal at his head. "You gave me a fright."

"If you're done with that, want to share the fun?" He teased and she only threw another animal at him. "Good thing they're not real." He shook his head. "I'd have to turn you in for abuse."

"Yours or theirs?" She eyed him critically. "Besides, if they were real, they'd attack you on their own."

"I think they'd attack the horrible singer first." Oops, how did they get back into this? Oh well, it was a reprieve from the nice behavior they'd forced on themselves, watching every word when what they really wanted to be said was stifled.

This time a handful of stuffed animals were tossed towards his head, and he dodged each one, which only infuriated her more and chucked even more animals at him. "Just get hit already!" She shouted. She was Sailor Moon dammit!

"Once you learn how to aim!" He took the words right out of her thoughts. She growled and threw another few, putting extra force into them. "How many animals do you have?" He asked in annoyance and one hit him square in the face.

He got knocked over from the sheer surprise of it and she beat down several more before she straddled his chest. Holding a pillow in her hand, and grinning wickedly, her music temporarily forgotten, even though it still blared in one ear, and the other offered a strange background for them. "I have a full arsenal at my aid, for moments just like this. Do you know how many times Shingo's dodged the animals when he rudely wakes me up on a Saturday morning?" She was still grinning like a chester cat. "However, you are worse than he is, so you get special treatment." Then she whipped the pillow at him and it also hit him square in the face, he wasn't expecting that action.

Then he threw her off of him and groped for another one of those dangerous frilly pink pillows and whacked her with it, moving her bodily towards the ground before she stopped herself and the look in her eyes was glowing as she whispered that it was on. She spun the pillow at him as if it was a nunchuck. He moved out of the way and then it became just a match of who could hit the other the most.

When both were panting and begging for a time out, there were feathers peaking out of the pillows and a few even snagged Usagi's hair, leaving a few trace reminders within it. Mamoru chuckled and pulled at a few, trying to help her. She'd collapsed on his side, leaning her head against the closest shoulder and she pulled away automatically, then realized he was just helping her out and relaxed against him again. Her hair was difficult to keep up, but she tried cutting it once, and it grew back within a week. She started to pick out a few absent minded, having turned off her ipod before the fight and setting it aside.

"Want to have a singing competition?"

"Don't you know we don't play games anymore?"

"Because we argue over winner?" She blinked up at him curiously, that was something new to her, they'd been matched evenly the last go around, which she'd been impressed, but they'd fought over the fact that they'd tied.

"No, because you cheat, and can't sing."

"I didn't cheat."

"Memorizing all the answers, is cheating."

"I was bored, and there was no way I could possibly have memorized all of those answers. I'm not the best in school, remember?"

Mamoru snorted. "That's your own damn fault, if you weren't so lazy, you would probably surpass Ami."

Usagi huffed. "Anyways, I can't remember every detail, it's not like I have photographic memory like someone I know!"

"Fine, if you didn't memorize them, then you stacked them."

"I already told you, I shuffled them, I didn't do anything, I guess those facts just stuck with me." He was getting into deeper water, she was glaring fireworks at him and he only smiled and patted her on the top of her pretty blond head.

"All right, I believe you." He sighed and leaned against the bed, dragging her physically up against him. "So what are we going to do about being so restless? We have nothing to really keep our minds occupied."

"Well, there are other options we can do to keep busy-" She looked at him in a curious fashion and he was burning to know what she implied by that but before his mind could conjure up his own ideas and ask, she was talking again. "I still think a singing contest sounds good."

He chuckled and pressed her head back to his shoulder so she wouldn't see the look he'd been sending her way. She rested her head there, suddenly very exhausted, she hadn't done much in the way of physical exertion for several days now, and that trek through the rain had been more tiring that she'd realized, her muscles were still sore from it, but it could have also been from the fact she'd been practically immobile during the duration.

He pulled her up to her feet and moved them towards the hallway, it was dangerous being alone in her room, awake and that close together.

"I think we should have a physical activity time." He suggested. "This felt good, as you probably agree, and probably felt good to move around while you were dancing to your music, even if you were just bobbing along with it. We need to do something physical or we will go crazy. No matter how entertaining you are."

"I guess you're right. Is today's quota filled?" She asked, skipping down the steps, he followed at a slower pace, he didn't know how she didn't end up on her face every time, he was sure she usually did, but for some reason, she'd managed to catch herself.

"Sure." He stretched out his own tired muscles and they were a little cold from sitting in her room. They'd be able to do it up there, as it was cool enough to keep them from over heating like the living room would. He was a little worried about running out of wood, but he supposed if they did it in the morning or before bed, it wouldn't be so bad, and if they did run out, he could always find a way out and get more, best to bring a shovel with him. "You can pick the first activity."

Usagi eyed him carefully, did he really just suggest that she come up with the first thing they did? She gleamed wickedly, oh he was in for it now. He might not know it, but she was very flexible, and there was a very good reason behind that one. She stopped herself from laughing manically, it'd probably scare and warn him of her plans, best to let him discover it tomorrow. She eyed the pair of jeans he picked out for the day, these seemed even larger and because of that, longer than the others, but he'd tied a belt securely around his trim hips. He'd probably keep up with her well.

She would pull out her dad's favorite sweatpants and leave him shirtless, as he'd probably over heat if he got into it. She was used to it, so she didn't sweat so much, but she'd wear her cute little black shorts and matching, skin-tight tank. If things went her way, things might be heating up in another way as well. It was funny how releasing the fact that she loved and liked Mamoru would make her act so devious, and think so much in the gutter.

The next day, he didn't know what hit him. Usagi was up before he was, a rare trait for the two of them, and she'd disappeared into her room to change. They were both probably in serious need of a shower, and laundry would be a huge task before her parents returned, because washing clothes was out of the question and taking a cold shower, just didn't sound appealing, especially after the last shower he'd seen her in. A shudder rolled through his body and then he realized at his feet there were a pair of sweatpants, and nothing else. One thing was for sure, he'd be happy to get his own clothes back, these things were probably making him lopsided and not his usual suave, debonair self.

He pulled them on over the boxers he'd stolen from her father, it went against everything in his body to do so, and he wouldn't be returning them, he'd just buy her father new ones. He stayed clear of ones that probably had a special meaning or hard to replace. He'd burn them when he got home or just trash them. He had taken to wearing just them, slipping out of his clothes after Usagi fell asleep and into them before she woke up, as it was surprisingly hot with the candles and mounds of blankets on the bed. There was always at least one separating them, but they still held each other tightly every night, with another five blankets on top of them. Together, they created enough body heat to keep each other warm as well, with the remains of the fire still on their skin.

He looked around for a top, but found that all of his clothes were missing that he'd taken off, and wandered in the direction Usagi was most likely in, as she had trouble starting the fire herself. Walking past the staircase, he knocked on her door. When she opened the door, her eyes didn't glance down past his neck and she smiled sweetly at him from behind the shelter of the wooden door. "Yes?"

"Is there a reason I have no top?"

"I thought it would work best for you, come in, we'll get started now that you're awake, come on." She held the door open and he walked in, to find that she'd pushed the bed against the wall and there was now plenty of space for them. "As it's my turn to pick, I picked my favorite form of exercise. Please, take your place across from me."

An hour and a half later, Mamoru was sweating, beads of it were running from his brow, down his nose and then onto his hands, making them sloppier than he would have been normally against the fabric of the mat. He was allowed to skip any that put large pressure on his right hand and she changed a lot of the forms so it would be floating instead of engaged.

He flattened out onto the floor, letting the rest come to his muscles as she instructed was the time. It was the cool down to the very intense work out she'd just put him through. "Is there a reason you like doing this?"

"Its actually very beneficial. I love yoga, pilates isn't really my strong suit, but I still do it. Just wait, in a day, you'll be begging me to make you do it again." She was looking as if she'd only been walking outside in the cool air, hardly ruffled, and he grumbled, he'd have to find a punishment suitable enough for her in the future.

So the following day, he made her jog up and down the stairs a hundred times, she was breathing heavily by the 50th time down. Then she realized what was going on and glared at him. "I'd like to see you do some work, this is after all, your choice." So she watched him carelessly match her number and then doubled it and then leaned against the archway, with an eyebrow raised.

He wasn't even breathing difficultly, and she fumed over that. "Are you going to finish?" When she finally matched his numbers, rounding off to a nice and even 100 each, she thought they were good for the day. "Ok, now jog in place." He'd already started, staying on the same place as if she'd put a dime down and the ball of his foot would land perfectly on it every time. She staggered and fell off to one side or the other, almost falling into the wall, but catching herself in the process and then regained her posture. She had to take frequent breaks to catch the breath that was puffing out of her chest before she'd even breathed in, her legs burned. "This is why you needed my help that day, that and you are a huge klutz. This will help with both, get you into shape and give you better coordination."

She glared at him and continued, no longer complaining and trying to out do him, he just had to rub it in her face again, was it her problem that the water was up to her waist, pulling her off kilter while he was so sure footed and so damn tall that it hadn't hindered him in the slightest? The only reason she didn't get home on her own was because she fell and hit her head, if it hadn't been for that... she would be alone right now, holed up in this empty, silent house. Her mother always said she was the one who provided any amusement and always brought so much life to it, but she had to wonder if her mother was nuts, she'd heard nothing but silence the whole time she was here it seemed like. She didn't know how she would do it for 2 weeks without her parents, and Shingo. Sure she'd be able to go outside, but the girls all had even more responsibilities than she did and were busy.

Like Ami with her cram school, a new one since they'd destroyed the other one during a youma attack, and Rei with her priestess training duties and all girls private school on top of her normal Miko ones while taking care of her grandfather's shrine. Makoto could live off the small fortune her parents left her, but had been teaching at a dojo for the last few years. Minako... she had her own things she was focused in. She didn't really know much yet about the other blond, only that she was Sailor V, her hero before she'd donned the suit herself, and always wanted to meet the other girl. The only thing besides that, was that she knew that the girl was nice, if not a little distant and focused on her senshi duties. They got along really well when Minako relaxed, their personalities actually very similar, but it was hard to get Minako to relax after the last attack Jadeite had sent their way.

Jadeite had attacked Usagi in her human form, she was in a large crowd, disguised by the Luna Pen to mimic another beautiful blond, trying out for the singing idol position. His usual attack was attacking crowds, it wasn't something Usagi had thought anything about. He hadn't even seen _her_ transform, he'd seen her fake version, when he'd sought her out. The two of them had bumped into each other, not dissimilar to the way they had on the cruise ship. Usagi hadn't realized it, because before whenever she used her disguise pen, she didn't bother to hide, just become Moon, Jadeite never seemed to care either, knowing that it was only an illusion when Moon took who ever it was that told him to halt's place.

The newest member of her team, had frowned because of that and had been watching out for her leader's back a lot more often than she probably should have. Usagi didn't think Jadeite would put the two together, she didn't even look like herself in those occasions. Jadeite had attacked her before she was completely back on her feet, but she was completely Moon.

Perhaps Mamoru was right, that she was too out of shape to take care of herself. If she wasn't, then she would have not needed his help, though she was thankful for it, and would be able to hold her own as a senshi, especially as the leader of four strong warriors.

He'd made her do push ups and when he originally denied joining in on them, she taunted him that he couldn't do them one handed. He'd dropped to prove, he very well could, and that he wasn't a sissy-boy. Usagi would use this time that she had nothing else to do, to get better, to be someone that not only her senshi would be proud of, but Kamen and Mamoru as well. She wanted Mamoru's respect over anything else. If she knew she already had it, she might not have tried so hard over the next few days.

At least she was right about one thing, the following day, when her muscles were protesting the use of movement after the punishment they'd gotten from Mamoru, he too was feeling the effects of muscles never used before. He suggested they relocate to her bedroom and continue what they had started the other day. She batted her eyelashes up at him and seductively agreed, it wouldn't be an issue.

He'd caught her about the waist and pulled her against his bare chest, his head lowering, but then he released her, but she was sure he'd been about to kiss her, she just didn't know what was holding him back. So she scampered off to change into appropriate attire,this time it was a t-shirt, but it was v-cut and would showcase what minimal cleavage she had.

She was going to drive him over the edge, her body, her language, everything she did was just so tempting. He wanted to, but they hadn't really discussed anything about there being a 'them'; they were still working on getting along! Besides, if he was going to steal a kiss from her, he'd rather it be in a romantic setting, he couldn't throw red roses without having at least an iota of romance in his body. He was very old school in some regards, well, most, but he would rather woo her than seduce her. Maybe woo _then_ seduce her? He liked that idea as well.

So when he opened the door, she was already in a seated position on the floor, only a thin mat separating her from the carpet, he had his own, and he wondered why she had two and how often she did this, it was an amazing talent, and very sexy. He wondered what other positions she could get herself into. However, like Moon during the last attack, she might be able to get into positions well, it was getting themselves out of it, that was the tough part. He often had to do that for her. Except in this one case, she had complete control of her body and focus. If she'd only be able to find a way to pull these lessons into her daily walking or school work, she'd be golden.

He felt so much better after doing it again, his muscles seemed to relax and unleash the coils that had been bunching within him against the unfamiliar motions.

Usagi caught him rolling his body, trying to get a new sense of feeling and when he got to his wrists, he hesitated before rolling just his left one. Usagi frowned as he kept the wrapped one perfectly still, she was sad that he was still hurting, and a little guilty for not going down herself. But the pain should have gone by now at least, right?

Usagi realized she had no reference to the real time it took for something to heal, as she'd always healed abnormally fast, it wasn't until she became a senshi and healed even faster, that it stuck out to her. A normal person might take weeks to heal, depending on mitigating factors. Ami would be so proud of her for her use of terminology. However, then again, she might just have treated him poorly and it could be a lot worse then just a sprain.

She didn't say anything and instead went downstairs after their session. Mamoru went back to bed. Usagi figured that if the water had not completely shut off by then, then it must be so far underground that they did not have to worry about running out of water. But if they did, they could always just use the snow and sanitize it. Actually- as she thought about it, she turned on her heel and headed instead to the kitchen window where originally she was going to the sink.

She opened it up and let the snow cave in to fill up the large metal pot she had, it was probably a two gallon container. Usagi closed the window on the snow still pouring in and glanced around to see if Mamoru snuck down to watch this feat she was going to preform that most girls her build wouldn't be able to do, and even with her extra strength, it was slightly taxing. She lifted it up and carried it all the way full of snow to the fireplace and set it down where they usually placed the food. Then she went to go find any other large metal containers she could find and repeated the pattern until eventually there was pots of snow surrounding the fireplace as well as inside of it.

She waited until all the snow was fully melted and braved a few fingers into the farthest one, and pulled back with a yelp. It was hot, and it was perfect and exactly what she wanted. She carried the biggest ones up first and after plugging the tub, she poured them all into the porcelain container. After all the containers were emptied into the tub, she went down to fill the two gallon up again and put inside the fireplace one more time, then she went on the daunting task of waking Mamoru up.

It was easier than trying to wake the dead, at the very least, and it was probably easier than trying to wake _her_ up, she grudgingly gave credit to him for the first night they'd spent together. Yet, he had never been so hard to awaken before. Something about this house and being so securely trapped in it, gave him the ability to sleep deeper than he had the first few nights. It was nice to see, it might have also been because he had a bed partner to share it with, but she didn't let her thoughts go down that path. She had a feeling that if it was a normal day in his own place, he'd still be a very light sleeper, no matter who was sharing a bed with him or what they'd done before to tire him out and make him fall asleep.

When she finally managed to get him to crack his eyes open, he'd gotten a forty-five minute nap between her prodding and her bath filling. The water would probably be the perfect temperature if she could get him up and moving. "Usa-chan, what are you doing? I thought I was going to get another half hour of sleep."

Usagi grinned and pulled at his uninjured hand. "Come on, I have a surprise for you."

He looked at her oddly, sleep still clouding his vision, but he followed her nonetheless, and in her bathroom shared with her brother, was heat. He looked around for the candles she must be burning and while there were a couple to heat the air and keep it that way, the warmth was coming from the tub itself. She'd filled it with water and laid out a washcloth next to it, and a towel was hanging on the rack.

"What did you do?" He asked amused, turning to the blond next to him. "How long did this take?" To both questions, Usagi only returned it with a shrug, she was going to be elusive if she could.

"Go on, it's cooling as we speak, and then my efforts will be ruined. This will help with the sore muscles." She pushed him in further and then shut the door on his crooked grin.

Usagi headed downstairs and pulled the two gallon out, it was sufficiently warm, but not burning hot, then she pulled it upstairs with her, and grabbing another towel and wash cloth, headed into her parent's room and propped a chair under the handle as the lock was broken and still needed to be fixed by the one who forced it open. Although, that too, might have been her fault.

Usagi knelt down before the shower and took a cup she had put in her subspace pocket out and dipped it into the warm water and then poured it over her head when she leaned in. The water soaked only a portion of her hair and she continued the process for awhile. She then lathered in shampoo and then rinsed it out by the same means. She concentrated on the scalp the most, as it was what got the greasiest the fastest. Then with what water was left over, and it wasn't much, she set out to cleaning herself manually.

She felt very refreshed afterwards, even if it wasn't a real shower. But two gallons was plenty as she couldn't imagine using more water than that, even in a shower unless it was to soak it in, but as she headed out of her parent's bathroom, she found Mamoru switching the sheets, having had his bath and looking positively delightful. He looked up at her, when he noticed her emergence. He grinned and abandoned his work, and swung her up in his arms and around in a circle. "Thank you for that, it was perfect, how did you know it was exactly what I needed?"

Usagi shrugged, now back on her feet and she looked up at him shyly. "I know when my muscles are sore, it's the best technique to returning back to the neutral plane."

"I appreciate it, but you didn't have to go through all that trouble for me, when you could have benefited out of your own work."

Usagi's eyes found his and she made it as serious as she could be. "You needed it, I didn't. I wanted to do that for you."

"Thank you, Usa-cha, really." He was looking down at her, his head bowing in, her head tilting upwards, then they both pulled away. "I was changing the sheets." He sought out something to say, something to keep his mind off the fact that he really just wanted to kiss her, but would probably be met with a slap across the face.

"I can see that." She forced her tone to sound amused, when really she was put out, she wanted him to kiss her, but at the same time, they were now friends, if she'd allowed that to happen, he'd be teasing her until the end of time about how she thought she could have her feelings returned by such an important man. "Is there a reason behind it?"

"I figured as now we are both clean, we shouldn't be sleeping in such filth." Mamoru responded, returning to his task of pulling the edges down over the mattress.

"Oh, let me help you!" She bolted to the edge and took care of it for him.

"Really Usa-chan, I can do something things."

Usagi grabbed at his injured hand and held it between them, not looking up at him, rather focusing solely on his wrist, as she couldn't trust herself not to break if she looked in his eyes. "I am a little concerned about your wrist. You seem to be babying it still, and I don't want you to further injure yourself."

He used his non-injured hand to cluck her on the chin gently. She tore her eyes away and looked up at him in confusion. "I have been babying it, because of the same reasons, but it hasn't been hurting and I don't think it will if I do put any pressure on it. I've never hurt my wrist before, so I don't know how long it should take, as I don't know the average either."

"Oh." Usagi stated dumbly.

He tapped her on the forehead. "See, I told you, I had someone worrying about me."

Usagi's eyes shone brilliantly up at him as she smiled broadly. "As I told you as well, you'll always have me in that position."

"I thank you for that, and don't be too offended if I return the favor."

Usagi laughed and then went back into the process of helping him pull the sheets taunt and then the extra layers. Usagi went down to the basement and discovered a few more games as he set up the mid-day meal for the two of them. He took stock of how many logs they had left, and frowned as the numbers came up short. They'd only have at most another five days before they would be out of heat all together, including the candles.

But he settled himself into playing Usagi's games, as he promised she could pick out what they were going to do for the whole day, and was actually enjoying himself with the slight change of pace.

EAN: It was a hard decision to add Minako into this fic, only because of the baggage that the blond usually brings to the SM verse, if it hadn't been with senshi, then I'd had no hesitation. However, we're just going to forget that Minako had come to save Usagi and Mamoru had lost the crystals. That isn't so important in this story, and the one that I'm going to overhaul, well.... that's a different story with its own AN in front of it. They are going to take place simultaneously and separately as well. Only that I'm not sure if Minako is going to be there yet in that story, and Makoto as well might be absent for a while. It's a shame since I love them, but that one was supposed to follow more closely with the anime in certain regards and others would have a back story. Except, I'm sure I could probably figure something out. Hmm... we'll see. It won't be out for awhile, I think, at least until Christmas time, that's how much work needs to be done. Besides, I have other things you want to read, right? Hehe... I haven't forgotten.


	6. Part 6

Part 6

ANch6: So, I think we're getting closer to the end. Really this time. I think I might end it with Part 7 as soon as I write it. However... as always, you must be weary of that promise, because as I am now starting on Part 6, that might change. I might just throw in an additional part, as the epilogue. Who knows? For I sure don't. That said, I hope you enjoy part 6.

AN2: I also thought I'd be nice and update now, and not wait to do so until next week, tell me what you think, part of me wonders if I should go through and edit this a bit more, or is it good how it is?

If it was at all possible, they were getting- closer. There'd be little touches, a hand on a back, fingers brushing, legs entangling, all while awake. They'd even joined hands one day as they were both laying on the ground and looking over a coloring book that Usagi discovered in the basement from when she was five and hadn't completely demolished it with lines scattered over the pages in her 'attempt' to color it.

Mamoru laughed as he looked through the pages she had done that to. "It's typical of a three year old." He said by means of keeping the pace.

Usagi wrinkled her nose and looked at the cover, knowing exactly when she'd last seen this book. "I was eight."

"Oh." He didn't know what to say to placate her. "Well, I'm sure you've got other art work that just blows this out of the water."

"If you mean misshaped toothless people, then yes, it just blows this out of the water."

"It can't be that bad." But he was at a loss of what he could say to bolster her confidence on this occasion. He wasn't an artist himself, and it didn't look good for her skills if what she said was true. "Maybe you were just a late bloomer."

"As I am at everything." She was getting depressed, especially being struck with cabin fever and she rested her chin on her forearm as she looked at the page that he still kept lying open, just taunting her conscious with it.

When she felt a warm hand in hers, she glanced at it in mild surprise before turning that gaze to the owner. He smiled at her reassuringly. "Better a late bloomer and showing everyone that you can surpass them, then not blooming at all."

Usagi tightened her hand in thanks and the smile echoed her gesture. "What do you say we try out my mad skills that I haven't tested in years?"

"I think I'm going to be floored by anything you do."

That was another thing, words were getting more suggestive, more supportive between the two of them. If they weren't careful, onlookers might think they were a couple.

Usagi's lips quivered for a moment at his blatant compliment, he was being so sweet to her recently, it'd be a shame when it all just disappeared and they became just another feuding pair on the streets. She was going to miss this, and his words were just too sweet and kind and the pride she felt with them, wanted to make her cry at the sheer amount it meant to her to hear him say that. She schooled her features though before he could see her reaction and instead she grinned brilliantly at him, not having to force the emotion as he made her want to explode with happiness as well.

When they finished coloring in the boxes, Mamoru tried to peek at her work, but she hid it from him and made him share first. He followed the typical color patterns that were on the cover. Everything was in the lines and very neat. She reluctantly unveiled her work and he grinned. She no doubt realized how touching her work was to him.

Upon the paper was a man in a tuxedo, and next to him was Barbie dressed in a flowing gown. He ignored the fact that Usagi made the girl brunette and brown eyed, and very pale. However, the guy, Ken, was typically with brown hair, but in this version, he had hair dark as night and eyes that gleamed like the ocean during a full moon. Her skill was impressive, they almost looked lifelike with the shading and coloring, despite being outlined by a black mark. The tuxedo was similar to his, and she'd colored it to match. He was a little curious at how she'd gotten the color scheme so perfect, when not even the Tuxedo Kamen dolls came so close. They'd always had the colors wrong or in the wrong place. She even got the red perfectly on the dot.

"You don't like it?" His frown was one of thought, not distaste and he pulled it from her before she could stuff it into the folds of the book and ruin it.

"No, Usa-chan, I'm going to hang it up in my apartment." It might be a risk if anyone could connect the dots, but he'd take it. Besides, nobody ever came into his apartment anyways, save Motoki, and he never went into his room, which was exactly where he'd been intending to put the picture Usagi drew.

"What if I don't want to give it to you?" She was eying his own work though, with the typical color scheme, his female in the tight one piece swimsuit was a rendition of Usagi with the blond hair and blue eyes.

"I'll make you a trade. Yours for mine."

Usagi thought about it for a moment before a smile cracked her lips and she nodded excitedly. "Sure. I can't wait to keep a masterpiece by one Chiba Mamoru. You should go into artistry."

"I'd rather go into architecture if I have to do anything artistic."

Usagi gathered up the art work and grabbed hers from his hand as well. "I'll just put it beside the bed for you. In the meantime, mind making dinner?"

"Oi, Usa-chan!" He shot to his feet and grabbed her arm while she was in mid turn. She blinked up at him in wonder. "I actually have a special plan for us tonight."

"It's not like we can go out. What's so special about tonight?" She asked owlishly, and she was too cute when she did that, looking hopelessly confused.

He patted her on the head. "I have laid out instructions for you. I am going to go prepare us both a bath."

"Separately, I hope." She mumbled, not really thinking about her words, just on autopilot with her quirky responses, she was too busy musing about what he could possibly have planned. She turned around and absentmindedly wandered up the stairs to find her carefully laid out instructions. She missed the crooked grin that appeared on Mamoru's face as he imagined what her words conjured up.

If she'd seen it, well... she might have been freaked out and run from him... or she might have jumped him then and there. One would never know.

As she entered their bedroom, and it was, for the time being, she did as she said she would, and placed her coloring of the tuxedo clad Ken down on the bedside table where he slept and then looked for her instructions. They weren't in this room so she made her way into hers. Laying on the bed was a dress she'd only managed to wear once, and it was a disastrous event, Rei and Makoto had dragged her to a 'formal' party. Everyone had dates except for her, and they were supposed to all bring one, but Rei assured her that it was ok to go stag, she was sure there'd be plenty of males without dates as well.

There had been, but Usagi had to fight them off, and had to find escape plans if she sat still for only a moment. They were all two types, one was the uber geek, snot wiping, thick glasses and nasally voice among other stereotypes and the other was the one that she had to fight off the most. They all hit on her, and made lewd comments and tried to feel her up. They were not attractive, and if the off chance, one was, he had a personality that belonged in the gutter. She probably would have preferred the geeks, except the one time she'd tried to talk to them, one of the others had tried to start a fight with the unfortunate boy.

She'd managed to dispel the argument by pulling the aggressor away, with phony promises and ideas. Then she'd promptly escaped him as well when she had to push through a crowd to get to the kitchen. Now none of this was anything to do with how attractive she was or wasn't. She was the only single girl to show up to this party, that her friends had not informed her that it was almost taboo for a girl to arrive unattended.

She hesitated on putting the dress away and pulling out one with good memories. Perhaps this will be a changing point for the dress? She really did like it, despite the horrors she'd faced in it. Maybe this would cover up the bad and only remind her of good things? She didn't know what he had planned, but was impressed by the effort he was creating to make tonight special.

Usagi shook her head so aggressively that the blond locks whipped around her and even caused red marks on her arms. No, there would be no way to change the image of this dress into a positive one, she should have just burned it when the night was through.

She had finally settled into a pattern of butterfly partier, landing one one conversation just briefly enough to gain a slight rest before fluttering off to the next, thus avoiding any unwanted attention by lingering too long in one location. She unfortunately needed something to drink and had found herself almost completely alone in the kitchen. There was a couple making out, where nobody could see them, and another boy.

He didn't look like the other two types she'd been dodging all night. He looked preppy and cute. He didn't eye her as if sizing her up on her worth and had strolled over when she reached for a glass off of the towering- to her- stack of plastic. "Here, let me help you."

He easily reached up and snagged one. "Thank you." Usagi reached out to take it from him, but he held it out of grasp.

"What were you looking for? The beer?" They were standing right next to the keg, but Usagi only shook her head and pointed to the faucet. "Ah, water. Had too much to drink already?"

"No..." Usagi denied. "Just really dehydrated."

He nodded his head and filled the cup for her, handing it over as soon as it was completed. "Here you go." He was smiling and she smiled back, pleased to find someone here that had manners and could probably avoid a fight with one of the skeezier types.

"Thank you." Usagi though turned to leave, but he called out to her, she didn't remember what he said, but she turned back around and tilted her head for him to continue.

"I saw you out there, avoiding every male that was here alone. Have a fear of the opposite sex?"

Usagi saw that he was just joking, knowing exactly why she avoided said men. "I guess I wouldn't have to answer that if you wanted long enough."

"Touche." He winked. "Please, stay and talk with me for awhile, I've come alone and I've been rather lonesome for a decent conversationalist. You just proved you could be. Those guys out there, don't really interest me either."

"When it's those two types, it makes me wonder what you are doing here." Usagi leaned against the counter, away from him, but still facing. She took a sip of her drink while he formed a witty reply.

He was watching her drink from the cup and a grin split his features. "I'm glad you don't group me with them at least. No, I don't really fit this scene, but my friend dragged me because his girlfriend really wanted to come. The better question is, what is a girl like you doing here alone, if you weren't looking for guys like those? Don't you know that these parties always have the same crowd?"

Usagi's lips tilted up, as her world tilted around her before correcting. She figured she really was dehydrated and getting tired. She took a larger sip of the water, finishing off half of it. She shook her head to think through what he'd just asked her. "Same problem, pretty much. Friends dragged me here, without proper warning."

He was nodding, and was he coming closer? Usagi tried to back away, but she was blocked. "Hey, don't skitter little usagi. I mean you no harm."

"How did you know my name?" She tried sliding along the counter and away from him, the world was getting fuzzy around the edges. Unlike how she felt when she'd hit her head, she could still see, but things were hard to judge in distance. "Stay away from me." She warned.

"Or what?" He asked, putting a hand on either side of her, blocking her exit.

"I'll scream." She told him, prepared to do exactly that.

"Oh, do it, I like screamers." He laughed.

She tried, she really did, even taking in a huge lung full of air, but all that came out was a whimper, and even that was drowned out by the music. "What did you do to me?" She demanded, her energy spent, and somehow they were moving, he was mostly carrying her weight, but not towards the front door, but towards the back, where the bedrooms were.

"I think you know." He whispered darkly in her ear. "Though, seeing as how you only drank half a cup, I seem to have put too much in it. I _accidentally_ doubled the usual quantity, or was it triple? Oh well, it worked out for me, I didn't have to wait until you finished the whole thing or give you time to escape like you probably would anyways."

"I have friends here."

"They won't notice. You couldn't draw there attention away from any boy they might be with. I didn't give you enough time to disappear to do so. Besides, you gave me an easy opportunity, you don't stay in one spot too long. By the time they come looking for you, I'll be done."

The door locked behind him and she was on the bed by this point and she tried to fight, tried to scramble away. His hands were on her, groping any part of her, she didn't usually let guys get that far. She bruised from his maltreatment, she could vaguely feel it as she struggled to stay conscious though the drugs were pushing her down. If it was the usual dosage, her powers probably would have kicked in to fight it, but triple, could take down an elephant, not to mention a small senshi of justice without being transformed. She tried to call on her transformation, but she couldn't even lift her hand up.

It didn't matter anyways as his lips pressed cruelly against hers and one of his hands slid up her leg, bringing with it the hem of her dress so it bunched up around her waist. She was slipping into unconsciousness, no matter how much she fought against it, the drugs taking its full affect.

She barely heard the door slamming down to the ground, couldn't see it, but suddenly the hot weight was off of her and new hands were grabbing her, smoothing down the dress and brushing her face and arms. Her name was being called out, but she only tipped forward when brought to her feet.

"You bastard, what did you do to her?" Makoto- she thought she heard hiss at the creep who was no doubt almost as unconscious as she was, if not dying at that very moment, for she felt like she was as well.

Usagi swallowed back the lump in her throat that the memories that this dress produced. She wasn't sure how she got to Ami's. Her mother was thankfully gone for the night, and she wasn't conscious for any of the worry that transmitted between her three senshi at the time. Thankfully Minako wasn't with them, she'd never let Usagi out of the house again if she knew. The fear that gripped the three though was a very rational one, she'd consumed three times the normal amount of the date-rape drug, and that should have killed her. He probably hadn't been aware of that, just too anxious to get busy before anyone noticed the only single girl in the building was missing and then escape unscathed.

He hadn't managed to do more than drug her and force upon her uncomfortable touching and kisses. A fact she'd forever be eternally grateful towards her senshi for. She'd learned later that Makoto had sent him to the hospital and Rei had put him into a coma. When he awoke, he would have capital charges pressed against him between illegal drugs and sexual assault from not only Usagi, but other girls who'd sought his punishment as well. He had to watch his back though, for her senshi still had a vendetta against him. One Usagi didn't try to calm.

For when she finally did awake, relieving all of those worried senshi, she spent the next few days being violently ill. Ami forged her mother's signature and brought to the school a note excusing her from class. Rei brushed off any idea that she needed to return to her own private school, as she could handle it on her own. She spent those days watching over Usagi and holding her hair when she had to puke, and adding layers when the shivering wouldn't stop. She even forced fed Usagi when she refused to eat.

It was a situation, the end result, not the beginning, that was not too much unlike the one that had brought Usagi and Mamoru together. However, Rei and her never really resolved some of the greater issues in their friendship. But Usagi was aware now that Rei did care deeply for her and was an amazing friend and it just suited them just fine with the way it was. Makoto offered up her apartment and when she was home, would cook for Usagi every night, despite her not wanting the food. Ami called Usagi's parents to let them know that they were having a sleep over for the week and got them to agree while manipulating them into that position. Ami even did her homework for her, being careful to leave some of the more difficult questions half completed and even though it pained her, to do some wrong.

These three girls had stuck by her and protected her. Usagi knew that they were true friends, and it went beyond the call of duty. It was sad for Minako's arrival, because she had to enter into this tight-knit group that not only fought together, but also spent most of their time together having fun and relying on each other. Minako would eventually get there, Usagi was sure, but she just didn't have their history, but eventually that history wouldn't matter so much and Minako would be another piece of her own body, perhaps another limb she couldn't do without.

So if this dress was to have any positive side, it would have been to bring their friendships closer together. But even that, couldn't dispel the rotten images she got with it. Usagi threw it into the trash, she didn't know why she was hanging onto it, and finally she could forget it ever happened.

Her senshi couldn't. They didn't bring her to many parties anymore and if they did, they watched her like a hawk, even when the people she was talking to were nice, or just girls. Usagi didn't need them babysitting her like that, she was glad they were looking out for her, but they should just have fun. They hated the idea of her being near any guy, no matter what time of day it was, with the possible exception of Motoki and Umino and Yuurichou and family. Mamoru they could handle, but still watched him, as they didn't trust or know him that well. They definitely distrusted Kamen, even more so after her near scare than before, and before they hated him so much it had scared her in return. They distrusted him and thought him to be secretly working for the enemy. Now they thought if he had the chance to be alone with her, he would do evil things to her and so they needed to keep them separate, even if it meant bodily harm to her protector. Usagi didn't think for a moment that they would hesitate to pound in either of her dark helpers' faces.

Usagi honestly didn't need it. She never took drinks from guys, not even before the indecent. She hadn't thought through the water scenario, believing water to be safe, and relieved to find a decent guy in the entire house. She never wandered off with them and always stuck to well lit areas. Her guards were up even more now, but she was a people person, and she wanted to be with people. She liked to talk to them and interact. She'd dated before the whole senshi business started, and she'd even gone on a couple of dates since, but her senshi didn't really like the idea of distractions in that fashion.

They definitely did not want her alone with any guy, even ones they grudgingly trusted as far as they could throw them. So she dated in secret, even before it was always going behind their backs on this one issue. Everything else she was a book wide open but she didn't do it often, for she hated lying to them. Each one of them, even Minako would have a heart attack if they knew she had spent over a week alone with Chiba Mamoru, not to mention what her father would do, if he found out. Anyone in a hundred foot radius of his little princess with male anatomy was in risk of her father's shot gun, much less spent even a night alone with her.

It didn't matter how upstanding the gentleman, or well mannered or the fact that they didn't do anything. 'It was the principle, dammit!' She could just hear her father shouting over her mother and hers protests. Usagi was laughing at the thought as she pulled out a no-less formal blue dress, one that actually fit her better and skimmed her curves, whatever were there. A knock interrupted her bizarre daydream of Mamoru running off like a puppy, with his tail between his legs and his ears drooping. She was actually imagining him as a dog-human mix.

She spun around and flung open the door, and was half expecting to see her imagination staring at her, but what was, was oh so much better. She almost melted into a puddle at just looking at the black locks falling over his face and into his glorious blue eyes. She had to snap out of it, she shook her head and smiled in greeting, he was going to think her crazy. It was weird how the gates just broke down and she couldn't hold back even a single emotion anymore now that she let it out into the open for her own examination. She should at least be able to keep _him_ from guessing, right? She supposed now that she stopped lying to herself, she realized she wasn't that good of an actress.

"Can I help you?"

He glanced down at the bundle still in her hands, but he shrugged it off. "Didn't like my pick?"

"Wrong size." She lied instantly. "Time to throw it out."

"You can always have it altered." He glanced up at her, and realized he should just let it go completely, he was just curious, not hurt.

"It's too tight and too short. Altering it would be a waste of time." She could still see a corner of it sticking out of her basket and tried to stuff it back in. He doubted it would be too small in any sense, as it looked to be the perfect size, but he was a guy and he really didn't know these things about girl sizes, as he'd never had to before.

So he went back on the task at hand. "I drew your bath. Mine is in the process of warming up downstairs."

Usagi squealed and went headlong into the bathroom, and stripped and dove into the bubble laden soapy suds. She sighed and relaxed back into the tub.

Mamoru chuckled as the door slammed shut and he went into her room to pick up the discarded paper and set it back onto the bed. He glanced at the dress in the trash, and curiosity bubbled up again, he checked the tag and then left the room to the pile of clothes in their shared space. The labels matched, they were the same size, but he knew better to just not push the issue. She might have had a very legitimate reason for not wanting to wear the dress he'd pulled out, and it had nothing to do with him or his decisions.

It was a shame though, for he had a feeling she'd look gorgeous in that dress.

It was perfect timing as he was just carrying up one of the heated water containers that Usagi emerged out of the bathroom in a dressing robe, and darting back into her room, with an eep at being caught not fully dressed, again. He chuckled and could hear the drain pulling down the water. He set the container next to the tub and went to gather up the rest of the warmed pails. He had his own bath and then went down to make sure everything was set the exact way he wanted it to be. He'd saved two candles and set them on the table, plates placed on elegant place mats that looked to be used during only special events. If all went well, then this would be one of those occasions.

He'd found a delicious meal in the fridge that would go perfectly with the setting he would create and would now only have to wait for the girl of his dreams to make her appearance. She floated down the stairs. Doing wonders with her hair without the use of blow dryer or other electric appliances.

She'd dabbed on a light coat of makeup, and nothing too dark. Her nails had been painted, which reminded him that he still had chips that she hadn't managed to get off, still on his own. But he ignored it, because she was a vision to behold. The blue dress was better suited than his imagination had created for the other one, and she probably realized that she was utterly fascinating in this dress that complimented her eyes so well, and was his favorite color. He'd have to wear it, just so he could match her eyes if all things went according to plan.

"You look handsome." She breathed when she reached the bottom step, and he took her hand into his, guiding her the rest of the way. He'd scrounged through her father's clothes until he'd found her grandfather's suit, he had been taller than her father, and thus fitted better, if not still a tad small, but it didn't matter.

"Thank you, but it is nothing compared to the beauty I see before me." He settled her into a chair and unveiled their dinner. It was pheasant with a mint-chocolate drizzle.

"I do have to agree, this dinner looks fantastic."

Mamoru's lips carved into a lazy smile as he ate silently with her for a while. There was small talk, but it was inter-dispersed and short, nothing too meaningful. After dinner he pulled the dishes away and set them in the sink, before returning to her side. "And now, for the surprise."

"I thought this was? It's not every day a girl gets dressed up to have a fancy dinner with a guy in her childhood house." She cocked an eyebrow at him. "What else could top that."

"Wait and see." He stopped in front of the fire lit living room, the couches had been pushed as far back to the walls as they could go, and sitting on the side table, was the radio they had put together. Mamoru left her in the center and turned it on. The song playing was somewhere in the middle, not yet close to finishing. "We will start on the next one." These classical songs could only require classically trained dancing.

Uh-oh. Usagi scrambled for a reason why this was not good, not good at all. How could she dash his plans though, what excuse could she give him, without hurting his feelings? But what a poor idea, to think that she could dance? She laughed at herself and his foolishness and still scrounged for a viable excuse. He was coming closer, his chest was mere inches from hers and he snagged one of her hands and put it on his shoulder as his other one sought hers in the traditional pose. "I might step on your feet."

"You won't." He shook his head as he pulled her close.

"But what if I do?" She insisted, she'd never slow danced before, not even with her father.

"We'll figure something out to keep it from happening again. Perhaps I'll put yours on mine and spin you around as if you were a little girl, well, littler than you are." He was only teasing her, but she felt in better spirits. He wouldn't get angry, something had happened these few days which changed their relationship and how they reacted to each other. They still teased each other, but it was more intimate, more a tease than argument or mocking. They were endearments, and not mean jabs at the other. He was also better equipped to deal with her now that he'd spent more time in her presence.

He on other hand, had just stopped fighting her, stopped trying to keep her away from him and save his heart, something that had already been lost to her from the moment he met her, it had just taken time to realize it, and now that he had, he didn't want to let her go or push her away.

The music started to change, signaling a new song, and the one that came on, split Mamoru's lips as he pulled her even tighter against him and started to lead them in the small space around them in a simple but elegant dance. She didn't know what the song was yet, but he obviously did, as there were no lyrics to key her in, and the melody was vaguely familiar. She focused instead at his happy face, she'd never seen him so happy before these last couple of days. "Isn't there anything you can't do, Doogie Howser?"

"It hasn't always been that easy." He was looking back down at her, watching her move with him, and she barely noticed that even though they still touched the ground, her feet were practically floating on her own accord, he hadn't had to stop her from trampling his toes yet, and he doubted he would, this was the natural grace she didn't realize she had, and would be easily missed when she was in full-force speed. She accomplished this kind of grace in his presence on a numerous amount of occasions these last few days, and also several klutz attacks.

"Being a child genius must be so tough." She shook her head; she couldn't imagine it, having everything come so easy, since birth. It wasn't jealousy coloring her voice though, just awe and a little bit of amusement.

"It was actually, do you know how hard it was to fight to be recognized for my skill and maturity level, when all they saw was the age?"

Usagi looked away; she knew what it was like to have that burden placed on one's shoulders. To be looked at one way because of outward appearance and to expect that every time. She felt bad for bringing it back up, for the both of them. She tilted her head and her eyes were sharing a pleasant emotion with him as she asked him another question. "So, what degree _are_ you on?"

Mamoru laughed and swung her around in a half circle as they reached the couch. "I'm on my second degree."

"Only on your second?" She asked surprised, but it wasn't really, it was still rather amazing to her.

"Yep, half way through. I'm thinking of double majoring, but I don't think English would fit in my time schedule." He was teasing her back and she laughed, putting her hands behind his head, and letting them sway with the music, his hands found her waist and still guided her slightly when he wanted to take a step. They earned a break after all the work they'd started doing a couple of days ago.

"Color me surprised. I would have thought you'd finished two already. What was your first degree in? And why aren't you working on being a millionaire instead of spending more money?"

"I'm waiting for my age to catch up to my career expectation." He explained, the words would be starting soon, and he wanted to end this conversation before that. "It's in law. Being an 15 year old wouldn't have gained me a lot of respect at the time. So I'm completing my bio-chemical engineering degree beforehand. Maybe I will combine the two. Now pipsqueak, are you really interested in school at the moment?"

"No." A blush graced her cheek bones and he wondered what it was about, before she continued. "But what you want to do with your life is so interesting."

"You have pretty fun aspirations for yourself, you should never forget that." He glanced at the room they were currently in.

"I don't know if I want to make a career out of that." She explained. "I don't think I could handle all of the arguing with contractors and the other things that are needed to make that kind of career work. I'm not sure what I want to do."

"You have time, unless you show that you too are a genius in the next few weeks and skip all the other levels before graduation." He was teasing her again and she pouted.

"Whatever, who by the way would say you have emotional maturity?"

"Nobody, but mine is better than yours, so I think I'm getting somewhere."

"I wouldn't compare yourself with me, there's a man I know who keeps telling me I have a maturity level of a two year old, that just means you might be at most five."

"I'm sorry Odango." He sighed. "Will you ever forgive me for those mean words that we flung at each other?"

"I already have. The moment I looked up and saw you in front of me one day in the arcade, with a chocolate shake in your hand, to lift my despondent mood."

"If I recall correctly, the day before you disappeared for almost a week, we had a huge argument where you refused to talk to me the rest of the day. Then you just reappeared and I could let that argument keep us away from our typical roes. So I had to make it up to you."

That was the same week she'd been recovering from an almost extreme case of drug overdose. If she hadn't had her powers to help her combat it as much as she did, well, she wouldn't have been there to receive her free chocolate shake. "I'm glad that you thought so much of our daily spats that you gave up chocolate for me."

Mamoru chuckled and pulled her with him as he headed backwards. The music plucked out a few key notes before the lyrics started up and Usagi fell into silence as she realized what song this was. She didn't listen to classical music very often, but the voice was so obviously Frank Sinatra she was kicking herself for not recognizing it earlier. The exact song though, surprised her, and as the words escaped the speakers, they also were present a lot closer to her ear.

"Heaven, I'm in heaven. And my heart beats, so I can hardly speak. And I seem to find the happiness I seek when we're out dancing cheek to cheek." He was singing to her!

It was hard to say who was more surprised at the action, Mamoru never thought he would ever have to sing in his life, and especially not to a girl. But what a girl! He spun her around again and pulled her sideways for a few steps before going backwards again. He made sure not to make her go backwards too often, as she would probably slip up the most then, not that he thought she really would, with the skill she'd shown through almost everything she'd done.

Usagi never thought the stoic old man in the attractive younger one would ever allow music to escape those perfect lips, but they did, and the sound was just as heavenly as the song made it out to be. Her hands slipped from around his neck to rest on his chest, if he'd been wearing lapels, she would have slid her hands underneath them and held there. His own slipped to her hips, but she didn't mind or push them back up to her waist, it didn't matter.

They weren't even moving that much any more, it was just a slight sway side to side as Frankie continued his song. Mamoru's head moved forward so his cheek was resting on hers, for the next refrain. They seemed to miss one or two but his soft voice carried over to her, without missing a beat. "I love to climb a mountain, and to reach the highest peak, but it doesn't thrill me, half as much as dancing cheek to cheek."

He pulled away slightly, and Usagi followed him, this time however she didn't allow their cheeks to touch, and instead made it more intimate with another body part. His lips were slightly surprised at her forward action, but he didn't hesitate to comply and pull her flesh against him and her hands fought to free themselves so they could go back to his neck and bury them in his hair.

She pulled him even closer if it were at all possible and they had the most electrifying kiss any two could have. The strains of Sinatra's love creating song between rivals continued in the background, adding only weight to the situation as the pair remained standing and fought to sculpt the other's mouth to their own.

_Dance with me. _

_I want my arm about you. _

_That charm about you will carry me through _

_right up to_

_Heaven_

_I'm in heaven_

_and my heart beats so I can hardly speak_

_and I seem to find that happiness I seek_

_when we're out dancing cheek to cheek_

EAN: Hahahahahaha! How'd you like that my lovelies? No, they have not slept together yet, well... you know what I mean. And they're not going to in the mean time until I get you out part 7. I wouldn't hold your breaths that they're going to continue this particular rendezvous up to the bedroom. It's just a kiss, a magical, wonderful, passion filled kiss.


	7. Part 7

Part 7

AN: So I know I promised that this would be the last chapter, and guess what? It is! Tada! However, I still think there will be an epilogue that lead us into the one I was talking about earlier. So... it's not actually, really, truly complete, just this section of it. It's still a wonder how it all managed to work out so perfectly for me. Hehe... totally by accident of course. It just morphed its way there. I love when things happen to go your way.

AN2: I just now realized that I had her accepting in the last part a smoothie from Mamoru, especially odd considering the scare she'd had just days before. I apologize for the oversight in judgment... let's just say she accepts it because it's broad daylight, Motoki made it, and Mamoru would never have hentai thoughts about her, he couldn't even stand to be in the same room. Hence, it's acceptable to take the drink from him. (? :$ ) (I know I will probably be getting a lot of flack about that little back splash, it hadn't been intended at the start, but it does make sense later on. I wanted to set up the very real reason that her senshi are so against Kamen, even if he doesn't deserve it.)- and on a side note, it seems none of you even realized it so I worried in vain.

AN3: I will have the epilogue out after break, and maybe edit this part as well... I was hesistant to give it to you, because I feel like it still needs some work. I have more of Endymion and A Week from Sundry and have had it for awhile, but if it's not amazing, I feel bad for waiting so long to update.

Usagi's dreams, even her day dreams were always a funny mixture of the real and the unbelievable. It might have something to do with the fact that when she was told she was told she was Sailor Moon by a talking cat, that Usagi had just shoved the cat out of the window and went to hide in her covers again, hoping the dream would change. So she was used to it. When the senshi bit because reality and she was in fact a sailor suited champion for love and justice- which just didn't even make sense- she'd stared at the cat and said the first thing that came to her mind. "Is your name Binx?"

Luna had bristled and was going to pounce on Usagi's uncomprehending face but she'd managed to with-hold the anger for the time being. If only she was that lucky every day.

That though was another story, this dream she was having could probably top that one for the real factor. However the weird factor was a lot higher too. Usagi was in a fancy white gown, the fabric almost something seen on a window covering, that was how sheer the glossimer fabric was. She felt stiffer, taller, and more graceful than she'd ever been in her life. She was walking down golden hallways when she rounded a corner and fell into a chest.

Arms caught her and she looked up, laughing. "Seems, we never outgrow this habit."

The man looked down at her with a large smile that seemed permanently etched there and he agreed with a swooping laugh as his lips reached for hers. When he pulled away from the almost chaste kiss in comparison to the one they'd shared just the night before, she noticed that he looked a little different. He too was older, his features suggesting mid to late thirties. His hair was dark as coal freshly poured with streaks in it that following the same pattern but only after being burned through. "You're getting gray, Mamo-chan." She told her dream lover, something which she had yet to call the real one.

"That's because I've gone unnaturally gray earlier because you are always shortening my life with the scares you give me." He was chuckling and grabbed her hand. "Come, small lady is waiting for us."

"Usagi." Usagi twisted, what was he talking about?

"Usagi!" But she didn't understand, this was nothing like the dreams she'd had before. Images that made no sense. Death and destruction, crawling up her nose as if to warn her. This one was like those. She had her normal bizarre ones then she had these types where scenes would play for her, but she couldn't piece together the puzzle. There was always something missing, something that would let her see the face.

"Usa-chan, wake up!" Mamoru was shaking her shoulder now, she was having a pleasant dream, but it was midday and he promised he'd awake her from the nap before too long otherwise she'd have trouble sleeping that night, and might have nightmares. He'd seen them, felt them as they wracked her body. He knew he shouldn't let her have naps, it only caused problems down the line.

He had dreams that didn't make sense as well, but not ones like she described, she talked as if they had happened, had come from the past. His felt that way too sometimes, but he couldn't imagine it ever taking place, as if it was meant to appear that way, but was truly in the present.

Usagi knew the youma fighting would have adverse affects on her, she just hadn't realized that they would change her already weird dreams of big fluffy animals squatting out ice cream to ones that everyone was screaming and those fluffy animals became reptile like and cruel. So when Mamoru's voice reached her ears, she gladly awoke from this strange dream that was unlike any before. She imagined Mamoru being old? He seemed so young and full of vitality, what a strange thing to dream after kissing the _young_ man of her dreams, better yet, her imagination, for dreams could no longer be trusted to offer her pleasant things, even if odd.

Usagi blinked up at Mamoru and smiled, wrapping her arm around his neck and pulling him down for a repeat of the good morning kiss they'd shared only a few hours previously. "Thank you for waking me."

He smiled back and swung her up into his arms. "No problem." He carried her down the stairs and let her back onto her feet. She sat in front of the lunch that was brewing while she napped.

Usagi pushed around her food in thought, she ignored the hunger pains by only rewarding it with occasional bites of the delicious morsel, her mind had more pressing matters to attend to. "Are we ever going to get out of here?"

Mamoru looked at her slowly, wondering where this train of thought was going. True it had been over a week and a half since they'd first taken shelter in her house, but it could last much longer. The snow was melting very slowly, but it was melting. "I don't know if it is wise to think that way, it'll only depress us. Besides, I've rather enjoyed my time here with you."

"Yeah, but everything here seems make-believe when you're not out in the real world."

"Where is this heading, Usa-chan?" He set his spoon down and gave her his full attention. "What are you trying to tell me? That we're not real?"

"No." Usagi back tracked. "I was only wondering what would happen out in the real world. What that would make us, since we haven't had to face it, though we knew it would eventually happen, and now it has, and we might yet have awhile to face it still, but I'd rather know and not get my heart broken when we're free to roam about."

"I was thinking along the terms of master and mistress."

Usagi chucked a bread roll at him and he laughed at her twisted scowl. "Seriously!"

"I don't know, I mean if we went any slower than we are now, we'd be eighty by the time we were 'dating', so I think we should skip all of that, because I know where my heart lays, do you?"

"Yes." She wanted him to say it though, it would mean so much more, and make this so much more a true committed relationship, especially on his part if he said it.

"I think we should call each other boyfriend and girlfriend, even though I think we are so much more."

Usagi smiled brightly and leaned across the table to seal it with a kiss. "Deal, and I couldn't have said it better myself."

He returned it and had to pull back before he grabbed her across the table and settled her in his lap to continue the kiss until both were out of breath and the food would be spilled all over and cold. "Don't worry about what comes after this, for my heart won't change." He continued. "It will forever be in your hands."

It was the closest either of them had come to saying 'I love you', and Usagi abandoned her food and came over to sit in Mamoru's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning in until their noses touched. She looked deep into his eyes and said the words that had been missing. "I love you, Mamo-chan."

His lips parted in a small gasp, he had never been told that before and it meant so much, more than just the love of a girl, but the love of _this_ girl and he would never be alone again. "I love you too, Usako." He went to kiss her just as she was as well, their foreheads smacked and she moved away to rub at the spot. He laughed when she pouted, disappointed. "They can't all be perfect."

"I don't know, I think that one was pretty perfect. Want to try it again?" She angled her face so they wouldn't hit each other again and he closed the gap.

In another few days, the electricity came back on. It was a good thing too, as the supplies were dwindling and Mamoru was debating whether or not to sneak out to go cut down a tree. He doubted she'd notice the extra bundle of wood, but she probably would notice the heater laying next to her missing. Not to mention her pillow.

He'd first noticed the lights flickering on as they laid in bed, too much still in the process between sleep and awake to move much. He held her against his side, it made the sleeping accommodations that much sweeter to know that they loved each other and were able to sleep in the same bed and hold on to each other, even in the dream world. They went back out soon afterwards, and he wondered why those would turn on unless the switches had never been moved to off.

It would make sense, if Usagi was coming home late, to have a house lit up so anyone watching her, would think she wasn't alone and so would leave her that way. He still couldn't get over the fact that her parents had taken off for two weeks, probably longer now with the snow covering everything, and left her to her own devices. He didn't think that was very responsible of them, or legal. But then again, Usagi was fifteen, in theory she could take care of herself.

Mamoru pulled Usagi into a seated position and told her that he was going to go check out the furnace but he'd be right back. She grabbed at him and almost tackled him to the ground when his words filtered through her sleep clogged mind. She laughed embarrassed after that, and scratched the back of her neck. "Let me do it, I'm a little worried of a repeat performance." She tried not to glance down at his hand, which he'd left unwrapped the night before, to see if it would be all right that way. It was a little odd not to have the casing over it, but for the most part, it was ok as long as he didn't try to make a fist or use it too much. He'd probably broke it but it was healing at the abnormal rate he was used to. Not becoming Kamen in the mean time however slowed it down slightly, otherwise it would have been as good as new by now. He felt guilty for giving her so much grief over his hand, she hadn't known it would happen, and it wasn't her fault. "It's unlikely I will trip on the same toy that I did the first time."

"I don't think it was a toy." Usagi bit her lip and looked away. "I searched for it, but I couldn't find it."

"All the more reason to let _me_ go. If it's a rodent, I don't want you to get bitten." His uninjured hand cupped her cheek as he looked down at her. It was soft against her flesh and she leaned into it as she looked up. "I'll be all right, love." He leaned down and kissed her before going. It would be a blessing if this kind of situation was all that they would have to worry about.

As Mamoru headed down the stairs he mused over what would happen in a few years, Usagi would live with him, and then what? What would she say to him running out of the apartment often times through the balcony? What would he say to her? He'd eventually have to reveal his identity to her, it wouldn't be as easy to avoid questions as it was to avoid Motoki's when he left the arcade. This instead would be the middle of the night, and she'd be seeing him do it all the time, instead of snippets. Would Moon hate her? Not that they were likely to meet, hopefully. But what _would_ would happen if someone found out that Usagi was dating Kamen? He'd never had to worry about these things as he was always alone, and even the girls he dallied in dating never got too close to him, only going on a date or two and then ending it with them.

It was probably better that he was alone. It suited his alternative life all that much better, but he couldn't break with the promise he had recently made to the girl still trying to rouse herself out of bed upstairs. He couldn't do it to her, and he couldn't do it to himself either, Usagi offered him so much with just her presence. She offered him a way out of his depressing lifestyle and love with just a glance in his direction. He was becoming utterly sappy, he shook his head as he reached the bottom of the stairs. He looked over the heater and discovered that it was struggling to start up again. He tinkered around with it for a little while before it kicked on and then resumed the normal process it would have had the snow and ice water had not knocked it out of commission.

The electricity was now in full force and he found the switch for the lights, so he could turn the flashlight off. _Ah it felt good to have light again_. The lights flickered on before bathing the entire area in its warm yellow glow. Thoughts about Usagi connected to danger floated out of his mind, it would work itself out, he had faith. And besides, it was years off, and there was always the option of never living together, it kept the questions to a minimum, most likely. Or he could try to quit being Kamen, unlikely and as impossible as that sounded, if it kept Usagi safe, he might be willing to sacrifice Moon. Then again, how would Usagi ever be able to love him if he gave up on the heroine and left the world to chance?

---

"Yes!" Usagi squealed as the lights came to life in her parent's room. It probably hadn't been the smartest idea, so she kept it from Mamoru, and would forever keep it from him, but she'd turned the lights on that first day, hoping eventually it would be her first clue when the electrician repaired the circuits to the houses. She hadn't realized it would take over a week and a half, but she was now dancing around the room, in happiness at the progress.

Then she realized something and she sprinted down the stairs and tripped on the last step, flying forward and into the couches which still had not been replaced to their original setting as Mamoru was attempting to teach her more complicated steps.

She tumbled over the arm of the couch and flopped into it on her back. She grinned, for it was exactly where she wanted to be. She searched though for the remote and found it sitting innocently on top of the television. Usagi rose to her feet and snatched it before plopping herself down at a distance, her grandfather would remind her was bad for her eyes and health, but she ignored the voice in her head and prayed feverishly that the stations worked and the electricity emitted enough to work this technological box.

The TV whizzed to life after weeks of disuse and so it appeared slowly, the lines stretching until she had a blue screen. She frowned at it as all she got as she pushed the up button was the same sight. Then as she landed on one, she realized that Shingo had left his game plugged in and with the return of electricity, the game turned on again. She was over the TV, her fanny waving in the air as she worked on the cords behind it, trying to right it back to the way it was supposed to be, but she didn't attempt this very often. She either had her dad do it or yelled at Shingo to fix it.

She heard a chuckle behind her and she snapped upright, only to bang the back of her head against the hanging shelf which housed many of the DVDs and family pictures.

A hand was there before she could rub it, helping to guide her away from the offending objects. "Careful, we don't want to repeat all of our time together, do we?" His tone was gentle as he led her to the couch and sat her down. He knelt in front of her and looked carefully up into her eyes. "How are you feeling? Blurred sight?"

"My head is thicker than that."

"It has to be." He was teasing her but there was still a slight worry line around his lips. Usagi reached out and smoothed it away.

"Really, I'm fine. The other day- I hit the corner of the building really hard, this type of head bonking, I'm used to, as it happens all the time, getting into cars, going through doorways, sitting up too quickly in inappropriate places." She wiggled her eyebrows at him with the last one and a grin split his features.

"Any males I need to beat up, if they want a repeat performance?"

"Ew, no Mamo-baka!" She covered her face with her hands and turned away from him. Usagi was thoroughly mortified, she only meant like before, or the one occasion when she'd been under a table, discussing with him, the very importance of not allowing her friends to find her on that occasion. They were going to drag her off to the gym and she was just not interested. She'd banged her head then too as he ratted her out and she tried to remove herself from the situation. She'd laughed off the compromising position she was in by claiming she dropped her necklace and was only looking for it, when the girls were giving Mamoru the evil eye for allowing her to be on the ground. She'd saved him that day, unlike his own actions. But hers was just a temporary discomfort, where he'd probably have been castrated.

She shrugged off the hand at her back, angry at him now in both the past and the present. "Sorry, inappropriate?" He tried a different tactic.

"Why'd you send me to the gym that day?"

He was looking at her absolutely confused when she peaked a glance through her fingers, wondering what was taking him so long when silence fell over the duo. "Eh... excuse me?" He questioned, figuring he was probably forgiven for his comment.

"Remember, when I didn't want to go, and somehow the table I'd chosen to hide under was the one you'd chosen to sit at on one of the only days you'd dare be in the mall? You told my friends exactly where I was and then proceeded to laugh at me. Do you know the very real danger you were in, not just from them, but from me as well, for that action?"

Mamoru shook his head, remembering Usagi practically between his legs as she tried to scrunch herself up between them, so her friends couldn't find her. It had been... an interesting experience, and on that she had fueled without knowing it. He'd told on her, just so he could relax without her knowledge of what her hands had inadvertently done when gripping his legs, moving them so she could peer over one to see if the coast was clear. Looking down at her had not helped matters, nor the appearance that he was talking to his lap when other customers walked by. "Eh, at the time, I figured you could do with a little exercise."

Usagi pouted. "Thanks for helping me out."

"We weren't on the best of terms at the time, remember?" Mamoru sighed, even then he couldn't really hide his feelings towards her, or ignore them. He'd always known what a catch she was. He sought to change subjects, Usagi's memory could get him into a lot of trouble if she was bored enough to call him out on some of the things that didn't make sense or went against their relationship at the time. "What were you trying to do with the TV?"

"Watch it, but Shingo-baka has the cords all messed up."

"Let me handle it, ok?" Usagi waved him at it, knowing if she was given the opportunity to mess with it more, she'd probably make it explode, or at worst, make the house explode with it. Then they'd be living in an igloo with weird chunks jabbed into it.

He sat back with her and she turned on him. "Any luck?"

Mamoru shook his head with a sigh. "I got the cords back to normal, but the cable is still out. It means if you want to use the TV, you'll have to watch anything previously recorded as your entertainment value."

So began their new form of distraction method, and it lasted for a few days as neither had really realized how much they missed the mind numbing methods of the digital output. However it also freed their hands and eyes as the TV said what it was doing as the characters did it, for the most part. Allowing them plenty of make-out sessions.

They still tried to find other methods too, and one day Mamoru discovered Usagi's picture albums. She caught him looking through it when he was sprawled out on her brother's bed, figuring it would take her awhile to find him there. Usagi had been working on washing the clothes and linens they'd used for the last two weeks. The electricity allowed them to heat up every room in the house to a nice comfortable level and use means that had not been available to them before. Like real lights, and the microwave and running hot water. Oh the showers were so nice, the baths were too, but there was just something about the pressure of water coming from a source above you that just rejuvenated the spirits.

She put the load in, put food in the microwave, the intended method her mother had prescribed, and something that was easy to follow, by just pressing some buttons accordingly. She was filling the sink up with water when she realized she was doing all the work around the house. Mamoru had promised to help out, but she didn't hear the vacuum cleaner running or see him dusting. Her ipod was fully charged and she was listening to it on low volume but still mom's vacuum was old and made a _lot_ of noise. She checked every room on the main level, which was fairly easy as they all opened up to each other and checked all the closets and basement before heading upstairs. She'd forgive him if he was taking a nap, but he wasn't there, and he wasn't in their guest room either. As she stood looking into this room, she wondered why they hadn't slept here, instead of invading her parent's space but then again, they had a bathroom, whereas the guest room still had to share with the kids. That and the sheets were already dirtied by her wet form shivering in it that night.

She moved on, she knew he probably wouldn't be in there, and then checked her own room. She was moving past her brother's room, forgetting it in her confusion, but heard chuckling through the wood. She creaked it open, and when her eyes spied what he was so intrigued by, she darted for it, scooping it out of his arms and trying to run off with it. It was so embarrassing! He caught her easily though at the head of the stairs and pulled them back into safety.

"Give it back, Usako."

"No!" She stubbornly refused, trying to stuff it where he couldn't easily steal it back, but the book was slippery and there was no way to get a firm hold. Which he was already trying to pry from her fingers. "Stop! I don't want you to see!"

"I've already seen you in diapers. It can't get worse than that."

"Oh but it can! Leave it be, please?" She turned her pouting puppy dog eyes on him and his fingers automatically released without his permission. He couldn't believe she turned that look on him, and couldn't believe it worked so easily.

"Fine. I'll just look at them another time. Perhaps your mother will want to show me them, when I come over for dinner after they get back."

Usagi burst out laughing. "I'd like to see you get to my mother after my father puts a slug into your skull for daring to step foot on our property."

"Because it's me?" He was a little wounded by her reaction, didn't she want him to meet her parents.

"No, you could be perfect and my father would still hate you."

"I'm not... perfect?" He tried to sound hurt by her words, he just wanted her closer, so he could grab the photographs back.

She melted at the tone. "No, of course not." But she wasn't going to fall for it.

"I thought I was in your eyes."

Usagi laughed harder. "You are, but I'm not blind or have a fish memory. I know what you were like, and my mother heard all about you and your meanness as well. So if he doesn't kill you, she might."

"No, she'll love me." Mamoru predicted with annoyingly accuracy, her mother was a sucker for cute boys who were charming, a hundred times more so than Makoto, Minako and Rei combined, then throw in his fan club, and she'd be the president of it, kicking out whoever was currently in that spot. So he was probably right, no matter what hurt he'd put on her, Usagi's mother would love him at first glance. Her father on the other hand, would probably hate him that much more for it, which allowed Usagi to smirk at the thought.

"Anyways, I don't think right after they're back is the best time to announce your presence, they might be a little confused how I could swing a boyfriend while buried under forty feet of snow."

"Eighty." Mamoru corrected, thinking through the situation. He ignored her _whatever_ and returned that smirk still playing at the edges. "I suppose telling them I was with you the entire time, is out?"

Usagi's face wrinkled at the thought. "I think so."

"I was afraid of that. What happens when the snow melts and your parents are at the door?"

"I'm going to kick you out long before that, as soon as the tree is visible, you are going back to your place, I don't care if you have to scale the other balconies to get there. You are not going to be around for any witnesses." She shuddered, thinking of all the harm that would befall him if _anyone_ knew about him being alone with her for two weeks. The phones were still out, so she had no idea when her parents were going to get in, but the snow was still only half way down the upstairs windows, maybe a fraction more than that.

They'd have to come in through them if they were going to try and find her and offer their reassurance. Seeing as how they wouldn't be able to fit through the windows, even if the snow wasn't there, Usagi felt pretty assured that they were safe for another week at least. Another week with the handsome man across from her, was not a bad thing, no matter how restless and antsy she got at times.

Mamoru threw it all to the wind and dove for the book in her hands, he wanted to see the pictures she really did not want him to view, and knew if she got away with it now, he'd be wondering for the rest of his life. Somehow they'd both managed to end up on the ground wrestling for it, and then Usagi put it under her and laid on it, unfortunately his hand was also on it, so it too went behind her back and he was pulled down so they were nose to nose. Mamoru smiled broadly at her. "I like our new position, thank you."

Then he kissed her, with a slight shift in his hand under her, it being his left one, he grabbed her bottom and pulled it to him. She didn't fight off his hand, rather running hers up his chest and fisting her hands in the knit sweater, pulling her chest against his as she fought to be closer to his mouth.

They were breathing heavily by the time they separated and Usagi grabbed the book before he could and darted away, leaving an Usagi size space between him and the ground. He shook his head, trying to clear it from the awe inspiring power she possessed with that wicked mouth. He knew she'd dated other guys, just as he'd dated other girls, but he'd never done more than kiss them, despite what they wanted from him. He had it on good authority, as Motoki knew all her secrets, that the furthest she'd gone was kissing to. How she learned to kiss like that, he think he might kill someone if he found out. Usagi was his alone to kiss and to teach each other.

Except, for the first time in his life, he didn't want it to end there, and wished, well half wished, that she was more experienced so he wouldn't feel so awkward when he had to pull away for reasons he didn't think she could handle yet. So they could take care of the problem together. He also liked these playful moments, where she was blissfully unaware of the tension in his body, and sometimes he would chase her after she'd coiled up his stomach and made his blood burn.

However at the same time, he _wanted_ to be her first, just like she'd be his. However he did not want to mess it up with her, and put them both off of what everyone always claimed was the most life altering thing in existence. He didn't want any man to have any claim to her body, not even a brush of shoulders. He was half serious the other day about pounding any guy's face in who thought they could lay claim on her, either present or past.

Her pictures would forever be lost to him as he finally pushed himself to his feet, reasonably assured that he calmed down enough not to scare her. He wasn't used to having so much room in his pants and so didn't normally have to worry about the tent effect.

As he walked down the stairs, looking for her, he smelt something burning. He ran into the kitchen and pulled out the culprit. "USAGI!" He bellowed, seeing the charred microwave and feeling annoyed that the easy way was taken away yet again.

Usagi bounded down the steps, saving herself from a repeat of her own face plant the other day, she'd been doing so well, she didn't want to screw it up in his presence again. "Yes?" She asked sweetly, thinking it was still about her history in images. He held the container out to her and her face fell. "Oh."

"Oh is right. The microwave is shot now, thanks to your genius. Wasn't it taught in preschool never to put metal in the microwave, and that tinfoil is a metal?"

Usagi bit her lip, he was angry with her and going back to the way they used to insult each other, going with the one that had started it all, her brain power. She was poking the offending object that was still in her line of sight, she could have sworn she would have taken it off, had she seen aluminum. She pulled open the fridge and pulled out a package that could have been its twin. Except the top was plastic. "I threw the wrong one in." She whispered, holding it out for his inspection.

He opened his mouth and then looked at his girlfriend's eyes, which were refusing to look at him, he could see tears there that she was trying to push aside, and he realized what he'd said. He hadn't learned how to talk nicely to people when annoyed. He'd learned how to diffuse a situation if someone else was or if it mattered in a business sense, but Motoki received some of his wrath too as he'd never learned how to handle it in a personal bases. He put the burnt package in the sink and pulled the one out of her hands as well, tossing it onto the counter, and wrapped his arms around her loosely.

"I'm a right old prick aren't I? I'm never going to get this right, and it's a great start to our relationship, me already yelling at you."

"You'll get better." Usagi was staring at the center of his chest though.

"I hope I do, I hate upsetting you, and I don't even realize I'm saying these things sometimes, as its habit and just comes out of my mouth. I'm going to work on it, but please know that I don't mean them, they're only sculpted to hurt, they're not the truth. It's a trait I learned as one of my first memories."

"What's that saying? Things said in anger have some ring of truth? Or drunken words are sober thoughts?"

"Never towards you, Usako. I have never actually once thought a truly negative thing about you. I was annoyed at first with how cheerful you always were when the world just didn't work that way. I see now, I was just jealous and took it out on you. Then with the brains thing, it's one I fall back on often, to different forms, as I had always thought everyone was dumb in comparison, but I know you aren't dumb, you just see things differently."

Usagi dared to lift her eyes to his and his were pouring out only the truth to his words and she nodded, he had been getting better, it was just a lapse. "I will help you then." She beamed. "I will put you in your place every time you do it to me or Motoki, or someone who doesn't deserve it."

"You'll have your hands full, as I am rather nasty to the fan club."

"Oh, they probably deserve it, because you're mine and they shouldn't be panting over you like that." Usagi's eyes twinkled, and he couldn't help the kiss he pressed against those upturn lips. She was too tempting with every move she made. It would be impossible to hide it at first in public, with wanting to claim her every time she did something cute or sexy or a guy's eyes wandered over her petite form. He used to glare at them and they'd turn, but now that she was officially his, he'd have to find some new way to protect her from the advances of other men.

Usagi's stomach grumbling, split them apart this time, and she blushed in a cute fashion, he wanted to pull her back into his arms, but instead he set out to making them dinner, without the use of a microwave.

After dinner was cooked in the oven, and then eaten, they settled into the pattern they'd developed over the last few days. Dinner today though had been delayed and so the movie they put in was as well. The movie chosen for tonight had been an especially long one, and they hadn't realized it at the start. Towards what Mamoru was hoping to be the end, he felt the breathing shift in the bundle on his chest. He glanced down and the eyes were drooping shut and didn't reopen. "Time for bed?" His quiet words barely reached her and she shook her head in the negative.

He sighed, it wouldn't hurt her to fall asleep down here, and he was rather interested in the movie. When it finished, she was well and truly asleep and so with some maneuvering managed to stand up and carry her up the stairs.

Mamoru laid her in the bed, and was pulling off her heavier layers, it was getting hot at night under the covers, he heard a beeping noise. He mentally checked that he'd turned everything off in the kitchen and living room, he recalled all of his steps, he'd even disabled the smoke alarm when it appeared as if the microwave would cause serious issues with it. The beeping was coming from closer however and he glanced at the clock, which read 5PM, which he knew it wasn't, as it was closer to midnight. Perhaps the alarm had accidentally set. He checked it, but it wasn't the one going off. He nudged Usagi's shoulder and she briefly surfaced from her slumber.

"I thought you said you didn't have a cell phone."

"I don't." Usagi mumbled, the next part the lie that was so engraved in her, that she said it now, even though she probably shouldn't have, as it wouldn't make sense in this situation. "It's just my pager." The noise was too familiar to forget, but she was too tired to think clearly and as soon as the words were out of her mouth, all thoughts of sleep evaporated. Her eyes snapped open to stare into his confused ones, but also vaguely suspicious.

"Why would you need a pager?" He questioned, any teenager in any time in history, it was considered to be a sign of gangs and drug deals. More recently however it had more to do with drugs as well, but usually as a reminder to take them or a parent searching for a child.

"Eh- mind if I get back to you on that?" She was gone from the room in a flash and she slammed her door shut in his face when he moved to follow her. He shamelessly pressed his ear against the door, but heard almost nothing.

---

Usagi couldn't believe how stupid she was. Of course he'd be suspicious, he'd never seen her carry a pager around before, and it'd never gone off in his presence. Also why then would it be going off now, in the middle of the night? Usagi tried to settle down and think of a logical rational, but either way, she'd soon be of fighting a youma, and there would be no explanations for that. She hadn't realized that she'd be breaking the silence of identities so soon and to Mamoru of all people.

She'd claim it was just her parents, it explained the time difference. Then she'd drug him or something, so she could escape. She flipped the communicator open now that she had at least some idea of a plan, even if it was staggered with holes a mile long, like where would she get the drugs?

"Yes?" She whispered, aware of his presence ghosting her door, she could see his shadow at the base.

"We need you." Jupiter called out, and Usagi could see her dodging a spiked arm.

"Eh... I'm buried under eighty feet of snow. How do you think I can manage that?" Perhaps if she could stall and claim incapacity, both disasters would be avoided?

"Dig yourself out!" Mars shouted shrilly into the phone. "This is one fight you can't miss."

Mercury pulled the communicator away from Jupiter and shooed her into the fray with the other two senshi. "I've discovered the only way to defeat or even mortally harm this youma is by an attack only you possess."

Usagi sighed in defeat. "Shingo's curious, he's pacing outside my door after the initial surprise of a strange beeping and then holing myself up in my room. What do I do about him?"

"Knock him out?" Venus suggested, pulling Mercury out of the way of an attack. "Apologize in the morning."

Usagi frowned, obviously she didn't have siblings, and where did she gain that bright idea from? It was mean to do that type of thing, and Mercury noticed the look on Usagi's face. "Look, just lock him in his room. He'll be angry, but you could just start a fight with him beforehand to explain it away."

Usagi nodded and after getting location details shut the device. She shoved it back into her subspace pocket where Mamoru couldn't find it, no wonder he'd been very confused, there was no reason to have it on her in the first place, she should have just left it on her bedside table, but she had a feeling that Moon would be needed before things were settled with the weather, she was only glad they hadn't happened before this.

At least now, she could escape out the same windows her family was too large for, it was the first time in her life she was glad to be so small. She braced herself and tried to find a way to entice an argument with Mamoru, it went against everything they'd discussed only earlier this day, but instead of locking him in, she'd be locking him out, if she could get him to say something that should piss her off.

"What was all that about?" Mamoru's question was present the moment the door was opened, and she was caught off guard with the preparedness he had, himself.

She had to grope and make it up on the spot. She wasn't usually very good on her feet, but Mamoru always managed to help that skill along, at least. "It was my parents. They'd text'd my beeper, it's pretty fancy, it can receive texts but not send them. Apparently their flight will be coming in tomorrow afternoon or evening sometime and they're sending out a search party for me, in case I'm still alive after 2 weeks of defending for myself. The fact they can't get a hold of me is only cause for warning."

"I can't leave." Mamoru saw where it was going. "They'd have to find us first before I could make my escape, and where would I go then? My apartment? I live on the top floor, it won't happen Usako."

"Why would this be the first time your parents tried to contact you?"

"Because they probably tried before but the snow blocked the reception, just like the radio and power." That and this would be the first attack; someone was probably out, driven nuts by being kept in the house, or someone was trying to kill them. Who knew what drove someone outside when they still couldn't even see out of the window normally. She thought she might win this argument, but he wasn't giving her any reason to be mad.

"Ok, we'll deal with it when it comes about, but in the mean time, it's bed time Usako."

Usagi followed him, if she didn't go soon, they'd be calling her again and he'd know something was up by how insistent they were being. If he'd fall asleep soon as his head hit the pillow- but he slept with his arms locked around her and he'd wake up if she tried to get out.

She sighed and grabbed the metal lamp just inside her parent's door, she guessed Venus's suggestion was going to win. Mamoru was pulling back the blankets with his back to her, and she crashed the butt of the lamp down on his head. He collapsed with his top half strewn on the bed, and she pulled up his legs and covered him, placing a soft kiss on the spot she'd hit. "I'm so sorry Mamo-chan, it couldn't be helped." She felt completely terrible for hurting him, but he'd be more hurt if he followed her.

She bolted for the door and locked it behind her as she fled to her room, locking that door as well, transforming as she stepped. She threw open the window and braced herself for the cold that was bound to settle over him limbs in only a moment as she fought her way through the remaining snow.

Mamoru would be all right, she reassured herself with a final glance back to the doors separating them. She didn't hit him hard enough for a concussion, and he'd be out at most 10 minutes, long enough for her to escape.

She was out the window with mild abrasions, but otherwise all right from the hard top layer. With her first step, she broke through that layer and her leg was stuck until she flapped herself forward on the snow, spreading herself out to divide her weight and fought to free her leg. She scrambled up and rand as fast as she could, to avoid a repeat and her feet only sank an inch with each step. She was relieved she didn't have to snake her way there. She was going to use rooftops, but they had snow almost as deep and it would just be more work.

The major problem on her mind right now though, was the fact that her footprints could connect her to Usagi if anyone were to investigate before she could devise a way to hide it. She was very much doomed if Jadeite noticed either direction and Kamen wouldn't miss it. But as she got onto location, her mind was forced from her personal worries and instead concentrated on the battle.

"About time!" Mars shouted to the new arrival, having counted the minutes since the original push of the button to contact the Moon senshi. Although, how she could concentrate on that while avoiding the spiked arm swinging at her, she considered a matter of pride for multitasking so well.

Moon ignored her fiery scout and instead looked on at the youma. It was like a deranged octopus. It had large purple bat wings sticking out of its back and the color of the youma itself was an ugly yellow color. "Oh, ew." She complained as she looked on at the creature, really, viking colors? Didn't everybody know that opposites on the color wheel were just a bad idea, unless it was green and pink?

"Quit your whining!" Mars grumbled, and Moon stuck her tongue out at the dark haired senshi. They would have gotten into one of their mini battles but one of the tentacles of the creature struck out at the newest addition.

"Fresh meat!" It cackled and wrapped its rubbery limb around the Moon senshi. It whipped Moon around until she was throughly ensconced in the tentacle, the barbs sticking into her skin, and bringing it closer to the mouth it was opening wide to eat her, or at least swallow her whole.

"Moon!" Venus shouted and sent a crescent beam towards them, but missed as the youma was warned with the shout, and moved out of the way, bringing the Moon senshi into the fray instead, and Venus' beam hit Moon instead, and was quickly recalled once Venus realized she was hurting her own team member. "Sorry!" She called out, and readied to attack again.

After the initial scream in pain, Moon for her part tried not to add to Venus' guilt and winced, at the idea of Venus trying that again, with a youma just a hair smarter than the typical one. _That hurt_. She moaned to herself and struggled to free herself from the youma that was slowly squeezing the life out of her like a boa constrictor. But her arms were trapped at her sides and the youma had no intention of letting its meal go. Closer now, Moon could see the rows of sharp teeth, similar to a shark's mouth but much, much worse. She'd be sliced to ribbons long before she reached the internal acid chamber. Moon found it a relief she'd be long dead before she was eaten, unless those would only cause surface wounds and a lot of pain and would still be alive, sitting in its gut like granny red, either until she died of her skin burning and melting off or being freed by the butcher.

Moon closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable, either more pain from her own senshi, or from the youma itself.

Mercury gasped in surprise and pulled Venus' hand away. "Are you a fool? You'll just hurt her more!"

"But we have to try something!" Venus replied, they were all dodging the remaining tentacles that would love to just put them all in the same position as their leader. How did she always manage to need saving, anyways?

Jupiter was rearing for a little hand to hand combat, her skill at knocking down walls with just a tap of her fingers, wanted to try it out on youma brains. Mars was considering frying it, but even if she did hit it, it still might transfer over to their friend.

The complication was taken out of their hands as a rose cleanly sliced through four of the limbs, including the one squeezing the life out of Moon. He swooped in and dodging the other ones that came to replace the fallen octopus arms, while those grew back, he ducked, jumped and barreled through them until they were safely out of reach.

---

Mamoru was furious. He'd been pulling the bedsheets back when suddenly he was out, and when he came too again, he had no idea how he'd managed to faceplant in the pillows with the blankets tucked nicely around him, and a huge headache forming in the location that was throbbing. A hand to the back of his head confirmed the bump now there. Usagi had knocked him out, then pretended as if she hadn't just caused him injury, by acting all sweet and making sure he'd stay warm and be mostly comfortable.

There was also the sensation that Moon needed him, more anger towards the blond brat he'd been calling his girlfriend, Moon was in danger, and because of Odango, he wasn't there to help her, like he promised he always would be. The delay could have cost her, her life and Mamoru would never forgive Usagi if she caused Sailor Moon's death.

However he didn't have time to look for Usagi, who'd locked the door he was currently occupying, and while it would be easy to barge into her room to find her, he just didn't have time to give her a through debriefing on how stupid it was, and why the hell had she knocked him out?

He pushed through the window in the back of this room and pulled himself out, everyone would be sleeping and so he transformed on the spot, vaulting over the snow covered roof and landed on the other side, near her's, a mistake if she was looking out, but easily rectified, but he could see an indent that was clearly Usagi's body. She'd decided to go running off? Why the hell would she do that?"

He was torn between chasing after his love, no matter how pissed he was at the moment, and helping Moon. But since both led in the same direction, he decided to follow the footprints. He'd wring some sense into her pretty little neck when he caught her. And to go traipsing off into a youma fight? He finally reached the end of the footprints before they became a mash up of many feet depressing the snow. If the senshi had to come out into this weather, because of Usagi- he might just have to be withheld from beating her himself, on just how stupid she was!

He saw that Moon was being held, but Venus was taking care of it, and so he looked around for the golden haired odango, no doubt shivering in the cold, not being properly attired. A quick glance around showed him neither his love standing, protected by the senshi or laying out of the way, unconscious. He winced both at the sight and the pain that ran through him with Venus' attack on the leader of the senshi.

He knew it hadn't been on purpose and the things that followed were very fast moving as he rained down several roses, effectively cutting the limbs off as the two senshi argued about how to best free her when they were all aggressive powers, save Venus' herself who had a mixture of both, but Moon was too close.

He sprinted in, pulling the girl out of harms way, her breathing was the first thing he took care of and using another rose cut through her bindings. He would have done this earlier, but his trust in the senshi it seemed was too large. As he leaned over her, checking her for other injuries, his gaze widened as he realized that he wouldn't be finding a blond odango unconscious on the ground, until now. It all made sense, why she'd ran off, why she'd run here, even hitting him over the head to knock him out, made it all very clear. It was stupid, as she'd harmed her protector and delayed him from helping her, but she had thought she had no choice, either admit it to him, or flee without his notice.

"We are going to have to talk after this." He growled in her ear, and even though the gaze was wide-eyed, she nodded, and he wasn't being fair, she hadn't known he was Kamen. He probably would have knocked her out too, except his would have been a lot gentler, by just putting her to sleep. The soft pounding in the back of his skull though was a sure reminder of that and his anger.

When Moon knocked him backwards, all he could do was put out an arm to brace himself and the other remained wrapped around her. He landed with a thud and a groan, which had instantly encouraged her concern. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just my wrist." He paused, seeing if she noticed the slip up, but she was frowning over it as they stood.

"I hope it's not broken. Someone I know just broke theirs, it's such a pain how long those injuries last." He completely agreed but shooed her off in the direction of the fight, she was needed to end this, but he stayed close. Especially now that he knew it was Usagi behind all that glamor.

She was concerned about him, and he was having a difficult time remaining mad at her. As the fight continued, he watched her purposely try to stay on her feet, though it wasn't always successful. But her senshi glared at him when he moved to go in and help her up, taking the spot for themselves.

---

Moon was aware of her senshi stiffening when she and Kamen spent too long together, and she tried to keep their attention off of him, and save his skin by not making him save her.

After she finally managed to attack the youma with her tiara, the youma lost a limb but managed to survive. She switched to her moon wand, she really just didn't understand how it was resting on her shoulders alone to defeat this enemy. Kamen's roses had saved her, so clearly it wasn't her powers that were the only one needed to take care of it. Then again... on the other hand, when Venus attacked, it seemed to hurt only Moon, and the youma only continued on what it was doing. Perhaps it needed a physical attack like Kamen's roses, but then her tiara hadn't worked either- she twirled the wand in her hand and focused some of her energy into the attack.

She drew on her own power source, _one that wasn't supposed to exist_- now where had _that_ thought come from? She cleared her head of strange thoughts that made no sense, not even a little bit, nobody had ever claimed her magic was false, and it clearly wasn't, if she defeated the enemy.

Usagi released the energy at the youma, making short work of it, and she sighed in defeat, she was needed, she'd only wished that Mamoru would forgive her. She turned to go, seeing that Kamen had already disappeared, and her senshi had darted in front of her to stop her from the retreat, they wanted to talk to her.

"Come back with us Usa-chan!" Venus clomped onto Moon's arm and Moon glanced around fretfully, the enemy had a habit of staying, Venus hadn't known that, but they had taken to never calling each other by their citizen names unless they were in that form.

"I can't!" Gods, Mamoru would be furious, especially if he suspected that she'd abandon the house.

"Why not? You must be awfully lonely there."

"Shingo's there!" Moon whispered harshly, if Jadeite over heard any of this, her identity would be shot for good. "Wouldn't he think it was suspicious if I never let him out of his room? He might die of starvation!"

"So we'll come with you!" Venus dropped her arm around Moon's shoulders.

For a senshi so dedicated and strict about things, she was awfully dense about others. Mamoru would never see what was coming if the girls suddenly arrived at her house and saw a boy with her. Not just any boy, but one they disliked just because he argued with her so much, and wondered what else he could possibly do to her if given a chance. Not that he would, but they thought evil things about the guy. Rei less so than the others as she'd had a crush on him from the moment he'd opened his big mouth and called her Odango, a nickname she'd picked up instantly. They didn't think he would try anything sexual but he might just spike her drink enough so she'd fall out of a window, or lock her in a closet and claim it was a diet tactic he was trying on her. Things of the like, if they knew that the two had admitted to falling in love- and- Moon couldn't think past that, Mamoru was officially going to be hidden from their view, until at least they could think of a way to break it to them without them flaying him alive.

He'd have to start by being nicer to her during their arguments, and then work from there. Moon winced at the idea of having to put on those arguments for the others' benefits. They argued enough as it was, but to make it that bitter, mean way, she was not looking forward to the harsh barbs that would only hurt more because it was coming from the one she loved. However on the other side of that idea, it could go the other way as well, she could say all the words, but not feel it, as she knew how much he loved her underneath and he could reassure her when they were alone.

"Venus-baka, wouldn't you think it was weird with four girls suddenly appearing in their house when the snow is still up to the rafters? How would we pretend that we got in there, or why?" Mars grumbled, finding a girl that annoyed her worse than Moon.

"Well, we could say that we were worried about her! And we can get in the same way she got out, by digging our way in!"

Moon shook her head. "Where's Luna?" She asked instead of continuing that conversation.

"She's at my place sleeping." Mars admitted. "She and Artemis are curled up on the bed near the great fire and haven't moved much in over two weeks. Too lazy to come check out the battle. Besides, it falls into the same thought, how would Luna suddenly show up at your place?"

Moon breathed a silent breath of relief, glad for once that she didn't need to come up with a diversionary tactic for Luna. Luna came up with it herself in this case. She cheered at her silent battle, for once she was going to win without resorting to violence. However Moon felt defeated at having to return back to Mamoru who would kill her for knocking him out and as she trudged her way past her friends, and she caught sight of two pairs of footprints leading the way she had come and another going back in the same direction. Moon gulped, Jadeite could have made the treks, he could have followed it back to her place, and then finding where she lived, come back to the battle, but then why wasn't he here to gloat?

Or why didn't he just transport back here after following there? Moon looked around frantically for Mamoru, wondering if he'd followed her, but she didn't see him anywhere, and didn't recall him during the battle either. She was in a hurry now to return to him and make sure he was all right. She turned though, a few steps into the direction she was intending to go, but if she told the senshi- they'd follow her back. Moon waited until they disappeared out of sight and were on their way back to the temple and she was half way home when she contacted Mercury on the communicator.

"I just thought of this- what about our tracks?"

"I'll add a light dusting of snow to cover them, they should at least make it difficult to follow or understand that people made them."

Moon accepted it, Mercury would wait until we were all back safely in our respective locations before doing so, Moon just had to contact her with the message. Moon again wondered why the battle even took place, there was nobody to save, she'd have to ask at the next meeting, if the youma was just wandering the streets, it shouldn't have brought the senshi's attention to it. She was surprised that she hadn't felt the attack, but maybe she could only feel it if someone was in danger, not just a general youma attack.

Moon stopped outside of her house and contacted Ami, anything inside, she would have to deal with on her own. Moon slid through the window, having every intention of going back to normal once inside, and the curtains drawn, hoping nobody would have seen Moon slipping into this house. Moon squeaked when she saw a tall man inside, sitting comfortably on her bed, with his feet out in front of him, the shoes on her comforter.

Moon's eyes went from the dark boots, fully expecting gray pants to follow, but was confused when it was black instead. Her eyes skimmed all the way up to his broad chest. Where most tuxedos were black coat, black vest and white shirt, his was a little different, with a white vest instead of black. She didn't need to look any further, but she did anyways, and was faced with a domino mask over the eyes that had always fascinated her in what color they could be, and the black locks that peaked out of his top hat and brushed that white mask.

"Tuxedo Kamen?" She whispered in surprise. "Wa-what are you doing here?" She felt like she couldn't talk straight with him lounging casually in her bed, totally taken off guard. "I knew you wanted to talk, but to follow me here?" She was starting to get angry, Mamoru was still in the house no doubt, what would he do to him, or _has already done?_ Her mind asked silkly.

"I didn't _follow_ you here. As you can see, I've been here longer than you have. I should be asking you what you are doing in this girl's house." He gestured at the pink decorations and Moon started to boil over, for he was dodging the issue here.

"Fine!" She snapped. "You followed the footprints back, you should be ashamed of yourself for breaking my trust like this and commandeering my identity. The only thing I care about is what you have done to the guy that was in this house!"

Kamen grinned, pleased that she was worried more about his safety than her own, or her identity. "If you'll notice, the door is still locked, just the way you left it. I only came in through your window to wait for you."

Moon glared at the masked man, furious that he'd play this game with her. "What do you want?"

Kamen raised a tailored eyebrow at the demand. "Aren't I in charge of this little meeting, as I have the upper hand?" Moon huffed and sank onto the window seat, her back to the falling snow that Mercury had conjured up. She really was torn by the light powder, she never wanted to see snow again for making her holed up in the house, but at the same time, she was pleased with it because it allowed her and Mamoru to get to know each other so well and grow so close in the short span of time.

"Whatever. Just get it out and go. Unless you want to kill me or take me to your _leader_." She waved him on, pulling her legs up.

"I'm surprised, you don't trust me?"

"I used to whole heartedly, but sneaking into my house like this is a little sketchy."

Kamen swung his legs around and stood up from the bed. She thought he was just going to tower over her as he came closer but he knelt down in front of her. "What would possess you to have any doubt now? I could have followed you back at anytime, but I never did."

"I'm just worried about my friends." She looked away but his gloved hand turned her face back towards him and she sighed. "I still trust you, which is why I haven't called the others here."

"What lie did you weave for them to believe you safe to go off on your own?"

"I told them my brother was here, and it would be weird if I suddenly disappeared or they suddenly arrived when we're snowed in like we are."

"You're brother isn't here." He encouraged.

"No. Yet you are, don't you know that already?"

"I told you, I haven't left this room since I've entered it, leaving everything as you have set it up."

"So you don't know if he's all right?" Moon jumped to her feet to go check on Mamoru, there were three sets of footprints, before her own joined them. Kamen could have easily taken a different path that she'd just didn't notice. She reached for the handle to the door, but a gloved hand wrapped around her elbow, just above her own and pulled her back into a warm embrace.

"He is all right, smarting from a headache, and an abandoned lithe pixie, but other than that, he is unharmed. Are you injured from the battle at all?"

Moon shook her head. "No, you saved me in time."

"Knocking out the one who protects you, isn't the smartest thing you've done Usagi."

"I know, I have to apologize for it- hey wait, what?" She glanced up at him in confusion. "How did you know my name and what do you mean, the one that protects me?"

"It seems as if I've been assigned that role in all of my forms." He knocked off the top hat and hesitated before removing his mask. "Would you like to do the honors?"

Moon didn't move, confused and concerned what this could mean, so Kamen lifted her hand up to the mask and wrapped her fingers around the edge.

"It's only fair you find out my identity on your own, as I have yours."

Moon's hand slipped away, intending to leave his privacy in place, but unfortunately succeeded to knock it off with the movement.

Standing there was a dark haired man, with the bangs brushing along the corners of dark eyes, eyes that were so blue in color it was like looking at the sky in nighttime with the moon to cast a sheen onto the heavens, making it glitter in the darken sky. "It's like my drawing." She whispered. "It was only a joke, Kamen being Mamoru. But Mamoru is Kamen, Kamen is Mamoru." She sank forward, her hands sliding down his lapels and eyes closing in a faint.

Mamoru dressed still as Kamen caught the soldier of justice as she slid down his chest, and held her against him. She must have just fainted from the surprise of it all, not for any disappointment or shock, he reassured himself and pulled back her comforter on her bed and placed her in it, before allowing himself to become fully Mamoru and slipped in with her. It was tighter quarters than her parent's bed, but he felt it wiser to allow her to adjust to this news in the same place where she first learned it, so she wouldn't press it off as only a dream.

The next morning found Mamoru under Moon's slight weight, she laid on him for the most part, although she was stationed between his legs and her head was flopped onto his chest. He was running his fingers through her hair when she blinked those soft blue eyes open up at him and she smiled sleepily. "Morning Mamo-chan." Then she looked first at their strange position then at the room as a whole and her eyes widened as she too realized she was still Moon.

"Surprise!" He said gently looking kindly down at her, all anger spent and gone. Then as he reached to spread his fingers at the top of her long golden hair again, she scrambled to her feet and pulled at her clothes and hair. "Don't harm yourself please, I spend enough time chasing the enemies off, I don't want to have to worry about what you can do to yourself if I'm not watching."

Moon whined in distress before she glanced around, and at the blinded window before she released her powers, and sank onto the bed at his feet. He sat up so he was in a similar position as earlier only it was Mamoru and not Kamen that greeted her. "You're not disappointed?" She questioned and he laughed loudly.

"That's my question for you!" He explained when her face fell.

She shook her head before she moaned and buried her face in her hands. "This isn't going to work, it was bad enough when it was just Mamoru, being both is the ultimate stupidity! You'll be dead before I can even start the first word."

Mamoru leaned forward and pulled her hands away from her face, trying to look into it, and had to duck down to be on eye level. "What are you talking about?"

Usagi didn't want to make sense of the dreams she had the night before, so much clearer, crisper and informative than she was used to, and they all pointed towards one thing, the one thing everybody wanted but would die if they knew the truth. So she'd blocked it out, but if it were the truth and they did learn it, she'd never be able to get close to a male, not even Motoki. Motoki would have to give her food to one of them and then they would bring it to her table, where they had blocked off any adjacent to it. No, Mamoru wouldn't be dead on the first word, he'd be dead before she even walked into the crown with a smile plastered on her face with the new she would share. "We have to pretend we still hate each other." She finally told him, and he still didn't understand. "The girls can never know we're dating. We have to just not, pretend this never happened."

"Woah, wait a minute, what are you saying? You want us to break up before we've even started?" Usagi's head bobbed in agreement, it was the only way to keep him alive. "Forget that notion! What makes you think I would ever agree to that?"

"The senshi will kill you." Usagi whispered, deadly serious. "If they know that we are close, in any way other than what it has been, you will be a dead man."

"So, they don't have to find out that I'm Kamen." He thought he figured it all out. "We'll just keep that part a secret."

"They will kill Mamoru for even daring to touch me. I think they trust him just about as much as they trust Kamen. At least Kamen saves me, only thing you ever do is keep me from hitting the ground when I run into you."

"I'm not just going to give you up!" He vehemently denied. "I will prove my worth to your senshi, and they'll just accept it." Usagi winced at that idea. "No dice?"

Usagi shook her head. "I'm afraid if things are as they seem at the moment, the girls will hate for any guy to be in a hundred foot radius, enough to even see me."

It was bad enough being leader of the senshi, she was protected to the hilt, especially because they saw her as so weak. When they found the Moon princess, Usagi felt bad for her, as the moon princess was supposed to be pure and protected at all costs, a male was not to ever desecrate her space with his impure thoughts, and anyone who even looked at her funny could have their eyes gouged out. There was a man, in the history of the Moon who had managed to get close to the princess, and had caused the down fall of the silver millennium. That man if ever found, or even his contenders to the princess, would have a similar fate as in they'd be castrated and then murdered to look like an outsider's assassination, leaving the senshi's hands clean.

As there was no Moon Princess to ensure this position currently, that same fate fell on anyone who looked at their leader funny. As she was to be the one clear headed and not to be distracted by any male and on whose shoulders the fate of the world rested.

Hence, Usagi and Mamoru's relationship was thoroughly fucked. Usagi buried her head into Mamoru's chest. "We can't date, I can't let any harm befall you, and it will, if they learn any of this."

"Usako, honey." Mamoru was determined to not let her go. He would never allow any real harm to grace her, physically or emotionally, and if that meant being selfish then he would do so. They'd be torn apart if they remained apart, that much was obvious to him, and he could never do that, but he couldn't let her either. "I'm willing to date you in secret, and keep Kamen and Moon from presenting a folly driven front. If this means arguing with you in public and loving you in private, I'm willing to work on that."

Usagi looked at him with wonder. Maybe over time, she'd figure out a way to keep the girls from destroying him on the spot, but she didn't want to part from him either. With a deep sigh she nodded. "I'll work on getting around them as well. They don't follow me everywhere I go."

"Usako, it will all work out and we will be together."

Usagi sighed, before wrapping her arms around his neck. "Yes together, I won't let this tear us apart." She leaned in close when she suddenly stopped. "Mamo-chan, why is even your tie white?"

EAN: So I had a lot of ways I was going to have them learn the identity of each other, but in the end, I guess I kind of tried to combine most of them. I'm not sure how well it worked out, perhaps you could tell me what you think? I was kind of tired of writing this story and writing in general by this chapter, though I still like the story as a whole. We've only got an epilogue now! Tehehehe, and after that... eventually I'll type up a story I wrote a long time ago on paper, but it's currently at home, and I only have the first chapter, so I'll save you the stress of looking for it! It won't be until at least winter break. I think I was just done with school and typing up a hundred papers all 5-10 pages each. Not to fear my lovelies, I wont abandon you!

EAN2: So I was looking over my profile and I've been very naughty it seems. It looks to me as if there are several stories I have not updated in quite some time, five years I think is some of the more extreme cases. I had not realized this. I thought for sure I update more frequently, and some are just so close to the end.... oh me. Well... It does give me a project to work on this weekend, the only trouble is trying to figure out which version on which disk is the most recent one. I'll try working on that while I work on my homework as well. It's a good avoidance tactic.


	8. Epilogue

Epilogue

EpiAN: So you're all going to hate me for this part, but fufu, I don't care. Hehe... just kidding. But it's a must, just like a lot of the stuff that I probably got you all riled about during the whole story. Sorry, but I'm not going to apologize for the set up, just getting you all angry.

After a month of the snow halting everything in sight in Tokyo, Japan, it had finally melted enough to crawl over a four foot mound in the doorway. If it was possible for people to get out, it also meant it was possible to allow people movement and that meant coming in with searches for the loved ones that had been split up during the time of unique weather events. Usagi pushed Mamoru out and then followed him onto the footpath. "I have to go get Shingo."

"Why?"

"He's no doubt missing his family, people do get sick of each other over time."

"Ha!" Mamoru drew her forward and into his arms. "I'll never get sick of you."

"That's because I won't let you. Now go, please before somebody sees and it gets back to my father that a boy and I were standing together outside my place."

Mamoru's naturally tan skin lightened a few shades as he flushed with the thought that accompanied her warning. Youma he could handle, her maniac father waving a gun around, it just chilled him to the bone. He leaned in and kissed her soundly before running off, only leaving her a word of love and wanting her to be safe.

Usagi trekked to her brother's friend's house and knocked on the door. When it opened and the woman glanced up to see who was laying on their particular mound she grinned. "Usagi-san, please do come in! Shingo's been so worried about you and with the phones still being out-"

"I know, I felt it was safe to brave the elements for the first time. I was thinking of bringing him home with me."

"Ah, of course, please do come in while I have him pack up. Have a cup of hot chocolate. Shingo dear! Your sister has come to retrieve you!"

"Was he a bother?" Usagi wondered looking around.

"No, actually a blessing, my husband has been stuck at work, and I think he's been trying to walk home today, but it's quite far even by car. I wish he'd just stay and take care of himself."

"I'm sure a lot of people are going to be quite hospitable, I'm sure he'll find a place to rest if he tires." Usagi attempted to reassure the woman.

"I do hope so." The mother agreed, and Usagi sipped her tea.

Just then Shingo came bouncing down the steps, he sack pulled over his shoulder and when he saw his older sister, he dropped everything and launched himself at her. "Onee-chan!" His arms wrapped around her neck and he hugged her. Usagi stumbled for a second trying to put the tea cup down and smiled broadly at the greeting.

"I take it you missed me?" Usagi teased as she hugged her brother back. It'd probably be a few more days before her parents were able to make their way back to their children, having to drive in from another airport as Tokyo's was still most likely closed and would be for awhile.

"Can we go home, Onee-chan?" He questioned with large brown eyes.

"Sure squirt, however, I'm kind of sick of the house. I might take off for a few hours, you can join me if you'd like."

"Where would you go?" His eyes widening even more.

"I don't really know." Usagi shrugged, and stood up, her younger brother still attached to her, but his arms went around her waist instead and held on, walking with her as she went to get his bag and then turning to smile at his friend's mother. "I thank you again. Have anything to say Shingo?"

Shingo turned to the woman, releasing Usagi and bowed. "Thank you so much for having me and taking care of me for longer than predesignated."

"I'm only glad we had enough food and supplies to last us through this weird fall weather. Do take care to not get stuck in any fall out weather that we may have. It was so strange to see more snow after that major dump, I was afraid we'd just be swallowed whole with no chance of survival. Thankfully it was only a few inches, nothing major."

Usagi smiled knowingly and bowed her head as she and Shingo exited the house and headed back to theirs. On the walk, Usagi glanced down at her brother with a thoughtful look. "Shingo, I need you to do something for me."

"Ok." He looked up at her, waiting for it, thinking it only to restock the fireplace or carry his pack but Usagi shook her head.

"I need you to promise to do this for me."

"I can't, it's a proven fact that little brothers should never blindly follow promises given to older siblings as they often lead to nothing good for the younger sibling."

Usagi rolled her eyes and stopped to stand right in front of him, she put her hands on his shoulders. "Can you do this for me? It's very, very important that you do. Do you understand?"

Shingo hesitated before finally he nodded. "Ok, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone."

"It's actually saving someone from being hurt." She told him before she shook her head. "It's my friends, I know they worried about me over the month of being snowed in. I need you to tell them that you were with me the entire time."

"But I wasn't." He objected.

"It doesn't matter, I don't want them to worry, and it would hurt them more to think I was alone than with you. Please?"

"Fine, what do you want me to say?" He grumbled, not happy with the lie, but it was only a white one, as he'd be with her the rest of the time they were in lock down.

"If they ask, you tell them that you came after school to stuff your face and when I came flopping in drenched, I told you that you couldn't leave to go to your friend's. The weather outside was turning wicked and nobody should leave, not even me to go to Rei's."

"Can I use flopped in ungracefully?" He sounded excited.

"Yeah sure, whatever. Anyways, so we stayed together, I'm sure you played board games and other stuff with your friend, just replace me with him if they push for more information. It is very important that you never break with this promise. No matter what, you do not tell them the truth, you only tell them our version."

Shingo eyed Usagi for a long moment before a light bulb went off in his head. "Yeah ok, I promise, I won't even hint at the fact that you had a boy over before being snowed in."

"_WHAT?_" Usagi asked scandalized. "What are you talking about? What boy?"

"Oh, I don't know, but I'm sure I'll meet him soon enough. I won't tell Mom or Dad either, you can handle that situation."

"You can't mention this around the cat either." Usagi quickly cut in, realizing that there were so many ways that this could get to Luna.

"No problem. So there _was_ a boy?"

"It wasn't like that Shingo, I hit my head on the way home and our place happened to be closer than his, and the hospital was even further. So he took care of me." Usagi was intending to leave it at that, she _would_ introduce a boy to her family, later, but only when there was a proper amount of time between this situation and the introduction, so it seemed as if they'd just recently started to become serious, Ikuko-mama knew however that she and Mamoru were up in arms, so it would have to have enough time after this incident to realize that things between them could have ended and make them realize that they liked each other because of it, and then afterwards had decided to date.

It was the best plan Usagi could think of. She could not keep this a secret from the girls, Luna _and_ her family, not to mention Motoki as well. Motoki would be the hardest to keep this secret from, he saw the two of them interact the most. He also had bets about when the two would either kill each other or get together. He examined their interactions too closely and he would be bragging to the world before either of them could stop him.

They must be especially careful around Motoki. Or just tell him in private, tied to a chair, so he couldn't call anyone, and gag him... Usagi nodded to herself, they'd just have to do that, but his secret keeping wasn't the best- particularly when he was keeping it in and wanting to share because it was just so juicy. He'd be boiling over, and if one of the girls asked, he'd try to ignore it, but in the end, he'd spill. Usagi was unaware though, that neither she nor Mamoru knew that Motoki was keeping the biggest secrets of them all. If they had, then they might have considered telling their friend.

"Whatever Usagi-nee-chan. I will keep this secret and spread the lie you want, on only one condition."

"You can't blackmail me."

"Oh I can, as I'm holding onto a secret you don't want to get out."

"You've already promised me that you would do it, no conditions."

"Just this one, please. See, Mika's mad at me, she gave me a doll before the snow storm, and then I went and lost it in all of the confusion. I want you and this boy of yours to come to the doll fair that's going on in two months."

"You don't think she'll forgive you in the meantime?" Usagi didn't mind doing this for Shingo anyways, but two months was pushing it to figure out a way to introduce Mamoru to her family without Luna being involved. She'd have to manage it though, because Shingo was looking up with her with such sad eyes and he shook his head.

"She'd just found out today. I won't be seeing her again until the snow disappears enough for the plows to come through, meaning at least another week or so."

Usagi sighed, at least hopefully, there wouldn't be a youma attack in the meantime, she didn't know if she could handle Jadeite's mocking face any time soon. But with everyone now milling about above the snow, she doubted that would be likely. "All right."

Luna came home within the next two nights, and a little over three days later, Luna was hissing at her to get out of bed. There was an attack in the park, and Usagi rolled her eyes at the sheer cliché of it, but she was back in action, and things felt like they'd never been disrupted, but oh how she would cling to those memories of Mamoru and her alone in this house.

Luna ran off ahead of her, knowing her charge would follow and knew where to go. She was going to go see the damage and warn Usagi if any changes occurred.

Usagi took off her broach and called for the ancient Moon powers to surround her and make her into the legendary Sailor Moon. Nothing happened. She tried again, but still the same results. She tried again and again, but nothing changed. She sank to her knees and wondered what was wrong, but her communicator went off and she answered it. "I'll be right there, I was just having an issue with Shingo who came up to see what all the fuss was about." Usagi lied so smoothly, she was wondering if she was becoming a bad person for how easy it was to lie to them about these things.

She could _not _tell them that she couldn't transform and with only a few mean spirited words from Rei about getting her butt moving and come along, she closed the communicator. She pulled out the Luna Pen and making sure nobody, Luna included, was looking, she asked it to change her into the sailor fuku girl that she used to be.

During the battle, she tried to stay out harm's way but it wasn't going so well as a blast came straight for her, rocketing her from her feet and she went flying through the air. She hit her back against a tree trunk and struggled to her feet to face the youma off. This one was of the female persuasion as most were, but it was hard to tell underneath all the layers of fur, making it look rather like a dog instead.

A vicious, canine who was about to eat her. Thankfully as her senshi yelled at her to just finish it off already, she reached up to her tiara and found it still where it was supposed to be. She'd never done this before, she tried to find power within her while not in her senshi form to add it to the disk. "I know who you are." A silky voice stated next to her ear, for her alone to hear it.

Usagi spasmed in surprise, forgetting where she was in her search and she looked over her shoulder to see Jadeite smiling cockily at her. "What are you talking about? Of course you know I'm Sailor Moon."

Jadeite shook his head, and took a step closer so he was practically breathing on her. "No, I know who you _really_ are. I sought you out before your little senshi could hide your tracks. Such a shame that plan didn't work out."

"Why didn't you attack me then?"

"Because you weren't alone. Kamen was with you, I wonder what you would do to keep me from telling the senshi that you have been sneaking off to visit their other enemy for the last few months."

"But I haven't been!" Usagi denied, she sought out her senshi, but they were too busy fighting off the youma, so she could get a clear shot, they hadn't noticed yet her dilemma with the shittenou.

"Who will they believe? When I tell them your secret identity?"

Usagi scrounged for something to bargain with, but was defeated, he might not know her real name, but he knew where she lived and her family could be in danger, he obviously did not know that Shingo was there instead of Kamen now, but maybe the threat of Kamen kept him from killing her in her sleep? Usagi bowed her head, Jadeite had won. "What do you want?"

"For you to come alone to the airport next week. Same day, same time. I mean alone. If one of your senshi or Kamen himself show up, I will find you in the real world and destroy any peace you might have wished for in trying to keep your secret." Jadeite grinned, as his hand raised and rested on the edge between her jaw and neck. Usagi couldn't move away from him, it felt as if her body was glued in place, even her arms were unable to lift no matter how much she tried to push off his gesture. "If I don't kill you in the process."

"Why do you want me there alone?"

"Mano-e-Mana." He explained. "I would like to defeat you off of my own merit."

"You will be alone too?" Usagi hoped so, for then she might actually have a chance to win, despite not actually having Moon capabilities. Hopefully by then she'd regain the lost transformation, and tonight would only be a fluke.

"Of course. But don't be disillusioned if I send attacks in the mean time. I will be waiting for you in a week exactly where I told you we would meet."

Usagi accepted the terms and before he could attack her anyways, the opportunity too large to ignore, a black blur knocked him away from her and she was freed. She finished seeking for her power source, wondering if it was even possible, and glad in the mean time that Kamen was taking care of the general while her senshi were taking care of the youma so she could find if it was capable of going to the fights. She finally caught her mental fingers onto a burning power source and couldn't believe her luck, she'd never looked before, and it was impossible to miss again, she'd find it instantly in the future. She pulled it to her real hand and it warmed the flesh as she pushed it onto the tiara and released it, the youma sliced cleanly in half, disintegrated faster than any youma before had.

She was thankful for the disguise which was only an illusion over her real self, so it didn't allow the possible discoloration to be noticeable. The girls all cheered as the youma was defeated and turned to her. A man in dark clothing was in front of her, and it looked as if Moon was trying to get away. His hands on her arms though halted her efforts.

---

Mamoru was putting the groceries away when he felt a tingle run down his hand. It was not the same as when Moon transformed, so he ignored it as something his body was just doing. Seeing as how he was too young and in shape to have a heart-attack, he put it off to low blood circulation, he had been carrying the sack for a good couple of blocks, where before he'd just drive to get the food, he decided to carry the same amount, the whole way.

It did not go away however, and it was about ten minutes later that he dropped the remote and bent over, heaving heavily. This pain, when separated from Sailor Moon, was the same, it indicated that she'd been hurt. He was out of the apartment in a flash and sprinting across rooftops. He never ignored Moon's indicator before, not that long anyways, and knowing it was Usako behind that pull, meant he would never for a second ignore it again. He'd broken that private vow, by not understanding it, why had it been so different than before?

Was she blocking him, so it was muffled? He didn't understand why she would do that, when she didn't even know it existed. He always figured he'd get the notice whenever she transformed, because sometimes he'd find her still on the path to the battle, but this time, he skidded to a halt, seeing the four senshi battle against the hairy creature but could not see his love. His eyes again raked for her, hoping she wasn't laying on the ground somewhere out of the way after that attack, but he breathed a sigh of relief to see her standing, but it was short lived when he realized she was not alone.

A blond man was touching her and they were talking, Moon's head bowed, as if in defeat and he saw Jadeite move to attack her, he was there, knocking Jadeite of the way before it could reach his fair haired love.

Jadeite gloated as they fought. "What's the matter, pretty boy? Can't stand to have your girlfriend near another man?" The blond general darted out of the way from one of Kamen's roses, and he wished he'd developed a stronger attack. The two fought hand to hand, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Moon finish off the youma, but she was panting by the end.

That was a new occurrence, but she was also looking at her hand in wonder and confusion. He looked down at his own wrist that had once been broken, she must not have hurt it, for if she had, she would be sheltering it against her chest as he had done. With his youma gone, Jadeite mockingly saluted him a goodbye before disappearing.

Kamen growled and descended upon Moon in an instant. "What were you thinking?" He grabbed her about the arms and shook her. "Why would you hide the fact that you were in a battle? I'm here to protect you, I thought we already covered this!"

Usagi tried to remove herself, she didn't know what to say exactly, there was too much going on in her head, but the major factor playing in front of her, was that this didn't look good to the senshi who were making their way over to them. "Please, Mamo-chan, I have to talk to you about this later. I don't understand what you mean about hiding- I didn't mean to if I did." She looked at him pleadingly.

"We'll talk about Jadeite as well." He glanced over his shoulder to see the menacing looks she was trying to save him from and he let her go, when he really wanted to kiss her. He sent her one last warning glance and then took off. _They would have that talk!_

The senshi surrounded Usagi and started questioning her. "What took you so long to finish her off?" Mars demanded, as Mercury wondered what Jadeite had wanted.

"Forget Jadeite, what did that hunk want with you in the end?" Venus sighed dreamily.

"I swear if he hurt you-" Jupiter continued.

Moon waved her hands in the air to halt all of their questions. "Nothing, he was just seeing if I was all right. Jadeite had used his mind tricks on me, and was about to attack. That's what took so long, _Mars_."

Mars had the decency to look chastened and nodded her acceptance. "Hey, Moonie, what do you say to coming back to my place? The girls are still there, except Ami-chan, we'd love a fourth."

That was exactly where Usagi wanted to be, but knew she couldn't. For so many reasons, if Jadeite followed her tonight, he'd find out all of their identities as well, it was bad enough he knew Mamoru's and hers. She needed to go talk to Mamoru, needed to warn him but at the same time knew she couldn't, he'd stick to her like glue, and then the agreement she'd struck up with Jadeite would be destroyed. It was better to go face him herself, but she didn't want to be alone, what if he lied and decided to attack her in her sleep?

Usagi bit her lip, she was indecisive, but the thought of her brother, sleeping unprotected back home made it up her mind. "Shingo will worry if I disappeared during the night." Though he'd think she just went to Mamoru's place. "I will tell him to go to a friend's tomorrow, and I'll come to you guys. How's that?"

Usagi wanted to make sure Shingo was not in harms way if she wasn't there to protect him. The girls reluctantly agreed and then they split ways.

As Usagi did not know where Mamoru lived or his phone number, she couldn't go to him that day or the following week. Though there was another four attacks during the week, and each one of them, she ducked out of the house when the call came to use the Luna Pen and reappeared before anyone noticed her missing, or urged them to go first, as she'd soon catch up, coming up with increasingly bizarre reasons to stay behind for only a moment. She knew she shouldn't have gone to stay with the girls, but she was lonely, and scared, she didn't think Jadeite actually knew who she was, and if he did, he wasn't following her.

He might have wanted exactly what he said he did, that was to fight her alone, and didn't care who her senshi were. Mamoru showed up to every battle, but since she was never really in any danger, he kept to the shadows, instead of making his appearance known. She knew he was there though, and that calmed her considerably. Before he could abandon her to the night, knowing the senshi would kill him and that she was staying with them, so couldn't corner her afterwards, she reached out and grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze, it reassured him considerably and she looked multiple directions before she leaned in and gave him a small kiss.

Her senshi didn't notice, or see, as both were hidden by the shadows. "I don't have your number or a clue where you live." She told him after the kiss, but they had to be quick about their conversation.

"I'll leave it for you on your pillow." He gave her another secret kiss before taking off, when her senshi started to come her way.

She didn't have time to protest that plan and instead claimed she needed to go home for the first time in five days. The week was up tomorrow, and Usagi bemoaned the task of having to face Jadeite on her own. There was nothing she could do about Mamoru, he'd find her no matter what, she didn't need to tell him, but if perhaps she held off her Luna Pen transformation, he would be too?

She doubted it though, because it wasn't her transformation that altered him, it was the fact that she was in a fight, and in danger, whereas before it was the transformation. She just needed to keep calm, and pray that her transformation would come back in time for tomorrow's fight. Even though it hadn't in over a week.

To continue Usagi's bad luck streak, school was brought back into session, although it was only a half day, the subways were back to running, the streets cleared by plows throwing the ice chunks up onto the sidewalks and the airport started receiving flights again, though none were going out.

Her mother called her from Osaka, the closest they could get by any method and she was frantic with worry. "How are my babies?" She cried as soon as Usagi said 'moshi moshi' and then Usagi listened to a sob fest the rest of the conversation, about how so terrified that Ikuko was that something had happened to them.

Thankfully Kenji-papa took the phone away from her mother. "Usa-chan, how are you?" He asked gently.

"Good papa, and how are you? I've missed you." It was true, she and her father got along the best when they weren't arguing over boys.

"I'm good, your mother is too despite her weeping, we're just both really worried about you and Shingo. How is your brother?"

"He's good, he came home for a few days and now he's at a friend's house again."

"Leaving you alone?" The tone was clearly dissatisfied, and despite raising her to be a strong, independent girl, he still had very old fashion views, like a boy should protect a girl, and his baby girl was only going to go to the best option, one that loved her and she loved back and could care for her and passed Kenji's strict inspection, and only after Usagi turned thirty, if at all.

Usagi rolled her eyes at the phone, though he couldn't see it. "I was at Rei's for the week. I had plenty of food and firewood, and managed to keep myself sane during the snowstorm and subsequent snow in."

"That's good, that's exactly the way I raised my strong daughter." He sounded proud too, and Usagi was glad that Luna wasn't around to hear the truth, she had gone mice hunting as they were finally resurfacing, and she'd dragged Artemis off with her. "We'll be home in a couple of days, they're only allowing international flights now, and then those who are parents to children are going to be guaranteed seats. I figured we should have just booked a train in, but they're still working on the tracks, it'll be a while before the ice finally melts enough to break it up. Besides, they gave us free hotel accommodations and free flight home as they'd had to make a detour. Also, remember Kaa-san's sister? She's planning a trip with her family up to Tokyo to see us for the holiday season. I do hope you get it all off and not punish you for the unexpected and impossible weather conditions."

"I hope so too papa, tell mama I love her, and I love you too, but it's getting to be my bed time." Usagi yawned, not having to fake it. The battles had taken more out of her than she was used to.

"Good night Usa-chan." Kenji replied, and they hung up. When the phone was on the craddle, Usagi had the strangest feeling that this might be the last time she would speak to her parents, but even if it was, she at least got one final chance to say she loved them.

Usagi packed up her briefcase with all of her completed homework, both for where they were and what they should be on now. She'd be able to attend class, and see her teacher's shocked faces, at least then her work would not be pointless. She did not know why she was thinking such dooming thoughts, she was just going to face Jadeite, it wasn't like it would be the end of her life, he couldn't defeat her, he never could, not even when she was alone in the beginning and completely vulnerable. She was even more vulnerable in the physical sense, but she was a lot more prepared and understood what she needed to do magically to at least stand her own, even if it did mean in the end she'd die, she did it with a brave face, and not one crying at the fate she'd just been handed.

So, she tucked the phone number and address she'd probably never get a chance to use into her subspace pocket and fell asleep, clutching it. Her hand partially visible while the rest disappeared into nothingness. She missed his warm body sleeping next to her, holding her tenderly as they both slept.

The next day came and passed in a blur, Shingo came home in the morning to gather his stuff and change before they both headed off to the 11 o'clock start. The teachers decided to fit into that small amount of time until three in the afternoon, all of the courses missed, and so each were only alloted half an hour, and students were advised to eat before coming.

Usagi mentally prepared herself for not only classes, but what was to come afterwards. Her house was perfectly arranged to appear as if nobody had been there besides Usagi and Shingo, nothing misplaced after her parents left, including the sheets and how taunt they were pulled.

The teachers were all very surprised as the power had been out until about two weeks ago, and the Internet hadn't kicked back on until a day before. Her first teacher of the day had smiled. "See what you can do when you put your mind to it? I expect this every time."

The majority of her teachers had said comments similar to hers, but when Usagi got to her second period class, she dropped it onto her teacher's table and just glared at him. He was surprised by the indignation radiating off of her, but when he asked, she huffed. "You sentenced me to detention on that Friday! One which you neglected to show up for!"

The teacher had the audacity to grin. "Sorry about that Tsukino-san, I forgot, how about the next time I or another teacher throws you into detention, legit detention, you'll consider your time served?"

Usagi hesitated before accepting the agreement, though she didn't go easy. "Two times, because that detention wasn't legit either, I was in the nurse's office, and you wouldn't listen!"

The teacher sighed. "Fine, two detentions and I will listen to you from now on."

Usagi skirted past the other students and plopped down at her desk, content. Somehow she managed to get through even this half day without warranting a detention. Most of the teachers didn't seem super excited to be there either, but had to as it was required to have so many days a year. Her father's prediction could possibly come true. If the school board wanted to extend the year to make up for lost time, however they could also expand into the summer vacation as well.

Usagi was walking home, missing her usual run in with the upperclassman and glanced up just in time to avoid Rei's feverish walk to the arcade, which was back, up and running. Things were returning to normal all around her, and Usagi followed her flash tempered friend, someone who could be angry one minute and sweet the next, but Usagi usually just saw her angry.

Usagi slid into a booth as she caught sight of Rei's prerogative. Usagi winced, she had forgotten about her friend's crush over the month plus absence and knew it would hurt her friend if she ever found out. The only senshi to not hate Mamoru, herself included at the time before all of this transpired, was the only senshi to absolutely adore the man. She also deplored Kamen to an extent as much as if not greater than Makoto. Usagi watched Rei try unsuccessfully to draw Mamoru's attention to her with her flirting skills, but Mamoru's eyes were locked onto his coffee and he was either ignoring Rei or just ignorant to the world outside of his thoughts.

Usagi could feel for both as Rei stalked off and she watched Mamoru's back heave a sigh, as he slumped closer to his coffee. He had been all alone this last week, he hadn't had Shingo or her or any family members to call him. She'd missed him terribly even with the family and friends around her to help keep her from being utterly bored. She could understand where he was at and she stood up, intending to go to him, her hand was even reached out to rest on his back in comfort, but his eyes snapped up to the mirror Motoki had installed as a method to prevent theft and to spy on his customers without their blatant understanding. His eyes darted from side to side as if telling her not to do it. When a hand similar to the one she was going to put on Mamoru, landed on her shoulder, she squeaked and looked up to her tall blond friend.

"Toki-chan!" She called out in part surprise, and part joy as she tossed her arms around him and gave him a very Usagi-like hug.

"Hey Usa-chan!" He returned the hug. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show. I have been open for over twenty-four hours and the only yahoo who's come in before today was this big lug over here. He just missed my handsome face." Motoki clasped another hand onto Mamoru's shoulder, who turned to face the two blonds.

"You mean ugly face, don't you." Mamoru's eyes slid from the dufusiously happy look Motoki always wore to Usagi and she read the apology in them before he opened his mouth again. "Then again, compared to Odango's I guess one could call you handsome."

"Thanks for letting me know I don't look male at all, Chiba, but if I were you, I wouldn't start comparing people, as you'd fall low on the scale yourself." Usagi felt proud of the return and she and Mamoru settled into the old habit they had carved out for themselves, but so much better as it truly did let off the steam they had been holding, but knew it meant no harm whatsoever.

"Ah good, I missed this, everything is now back to normal!" Motoki cheered and wandered off to attend to some paying customers.

It also gave them a chance to see each other without drawing on suspicion. As time was nearing dusk, Usagi looked around before leaning in towards him. People were still watching, but they figured it was part of the act, but nobody was close enough to hear them or see the look that briefly crossed both faces. "I love you." She told him.

"I love you too. Tomorrow, will you come over? Anytime is ok by me, whenever you can get free." He instantly pulled away and tossed a finger into her face. "Jeez Odango, what's the big idea?"

Usagi glanced to her right and saw Motoki enter into the main portion of the arcade. "Whatever, I thought I saw a booger. It was true, did you pick it and eat it? How gross can you be?" Usagi threw up her hands. "I have to go, thanks for ruining my evening!"

He didn't miss the wink given to him before she ran out of the arcade with a final goodbye to their mutual friend.

Mamoru stuck around and drank another cup of coffee as he and Motoki shot the breeze. "You know, my dad's thinking that I should really limit the amount of free coffee you get, as you might just put us out of business."

"Or how many shakes you give Odango for free." Mamoru raised an elegant black brow, taking a pointed sip of coffee. "Most places give them for free."

"After paying for the first."

Mamoru only smiled and took another sip. He really should cut back on the caffeine.

"Think the movie theater is up yet? I really wanted to see that one movie that was supposed to come out that Friday."

"I don't know, but it is a business, and business are now running." Mamoru pointed out with a glance at the arcade. "Why, were you intending to go tonight?"

"No." Motoki responded glumly before he perked up. "Battle you in the shoot-em-up monster game? My treat?" He held out a handful of gold tokens, only redeemable by purchasing them.

"You're on!" Mamoru downed the rest of his warm coffee and they ran over the nearly barren arcade to the game Motoki had suggested. Even being surrounded by these things, Motoki still owned a playstation up in his room. Mamoru wondered when he'd invest in a wii.

After hours of playing all of the two person games, they played them all again. Mamoru was having fun acting his age for a change with his best friend, but he couldn't help but feel as if he was missing something important. He knew he'd miss Usagi again until he could hold her in his arms, but it wasn't that alone, there was something she was keeping from him, that he'd seen in her eyes, despite the playful mocking they'd sent at each other during the day. She'd seemed sad and resigned and he wondered if it had anything to do with the encounter she'd shared with Jadeite before he'd broken it up last week. Could after everything he knew, could she be secretly working with the dark kingdom? Or at least with Jadeite? After all the good guys were winning, even if it was slowly.

It was going on three, when he should have been sleeping for an hour or two that he felt that weird tingling sensation in his hands again. Every time it was someplace different, but it was the same feeling as that first time, and he knew she'd gone to battle. They'd have to figure out a way to contact him before it was necessary for him to _be_ there, so he could _be_ there when he was needed.

At least before he'd have some warning. He called a hasty goodbye to Motoki, in the middle of DDR and booked it.

Kamen soon took his place, and upon his arrival, in all places, at the airport, he found Moon standing before Jadeite, who had both of her cheeks in his palms, but dark energy swirled around him as if preparing to strike.

No, they were not working together, but Usagi was hiding something, something that if he didn't act now, would be the death of her.

---

The subway's trip to the airport had been a long one and had only gotten her so far. She had to go by foot the rest of the way as there was no need to go to the airport this late at night as all flights inward-bound had landed and the people had been safely removed and were now in their cosy hotel rooms or homes. Usagi walked onto the deserted grounds of the airport, normally it would be impossible to get through security, especially to be on the ground near all of the hangers which housed the planes. This was a large no-no, but her amazing jumping skills had not deserted her much with the loss of her powers. So to all appearances Sailor Moon was now facing off her greatest nemesis to date.

He had mind powers, Usagi tried to remind herself, that's how all along he had survived not only the senshi but Beryl's wrath. He controlled things, even people, but he couldn't control the minds or delve into them. He could only control the body, making it seem like invisible barriers were locking a person into place. If she could attack him before he could concentrate on a block, she'd be able to win this fight, but she had to be quick about it and have the upper hand. But seeing as how it was his stage, and he had the element of surprise, Usagi didn't think she'd be wining this particular battle. He was strong too, he'd blocked her tiara at the start, deflecting it and sending it back at her. She'd barely avoided it with her life intact.

A trio of youma stepped out around her, all were shaped like planes, she was trapped and Usagi whirled around. "Jadeite!" She yelled into the night air. "You promised me!"

Jadeite chuckled, right behind her, in the direction she had just been looking in. She spun around again, throwing her leg out, but his shield caused her attack to cause no damage but to herself and she bounced off, landing in an uncomfortable position, and moaning at the feeling of pain in her leg, before she stopped herself, Mamoru could feel her and find her. She did not want him to get hurt on account of her.

"Oh silly Moon senshi, to think I keep to my promises? I will be killing you this night." He took a hold of her arm and hoisted her back to her feet. "These youma are only a few of the ones I've conjured up for the morning. Your senshi will have their hands busy. No way they can stop what they're doing and come save your pretty little neck." His hands splayed there, and Usagi was already trapped as he looked down at her. "Such a shame too, you'd have been an excellent youma."

Usagi struggled to remove the hands from her skin but he only moved them up to her cheeks, and gathered energy into him to attack her outright. She tried to gather her own, she'd never attempted anything like this before, not even in senshi form, and she had a feeling it was going to hurt. She braced herself, closing her eyes and pulled the energy close before allowing it to explode outward.

He flew away from her, and the youma around her shrieked as they disappeared into oblivion.

"My youma!"

"Get over it Tennou!" Usagi called out as she ran towards safety. She would not be able to do that again, it had taken too much energy out of her, and if she did, she feared that she might faint and be open prey. She had to work on her energy, learn how to build it up for more attacks like that, she only had such a limited amount, but exercising it, could bring her to the ultimate amount of energy she could expend without dying, as she had to use her own life force energy to do so, and not build off an element in her surroundings like the others did.

"Oh, pretty Moon senshi, think that's my only attack on you tonight?" Jadeite's laughter bounced off of the walls and hurt Usagi's ears. "I told you, tonight is Mano-e-mana, and I will defeat you. Tonight, you die!"

The hangers opened, and the one closest to Usagi clambered to attention as the metal rungs were a little outdated and it's metal door shot up to revel a small commercial plane, angling straight towards her. She bolted the opposite direction, but back towards Jadiete, all the planes were angling in, and if she wasn't quick enough, they would run her over and flatten her like a pancake. There was no way to fight this, Jadeite was controlling them, and they were fast. They were forcing her to choose, to rush them and die, or to return to Jadeite and die.

_Great options_, she muttered to herself as she moved slowly backwards towards the man that wanted to see her end. She couldn't distract him from this task, he was prepared for anything she could throw his way. He however was not prepared for the thorny rose throne at his feet by another person as well.

"Breaking your own promises?" He hissed as he searched for her savior, but the general's assailant was no where to be seen.

"I have no control over Kamen, he is a free spirit."

"Who is connected to you." Jadeite mocked. "So free, when he cannot be helped but be drawn to your side whenever you are in danger. When he has shared your bed."

Usagi had no more options now, the planes were going so fast, that they were almost ready for take off, and she had to run to avoid them. "It is my pleasure, Jadeite, that you seem to have overlooked." The voice was right behind the general and the man turned only to see a hand reaching out to put something in his shirt. Then the hand and voice were gone, and so too was the Moon brat.

There was an explosion and Jadeite was at the heart of it, when the smoke settled and Jadeite was coughing to try to restore oxygen to his lungs, he realized his one fatal mistake. The planes were still on course for where the moon senshi had once been standing, and were now mere inches from Jadeite's face. He teleported himself away just in time. He unfortunately landed in the midst of Beryl's throne room.

"What is the meaning of this?" Beryl screeched. "You use my resources and have no result? This is the end Jadeite!"

"But Beryl-sama, I know-" He was soon engulfed in the ice capsule that would become his coffin and his words were unheeded.

Beryl's second from the bottom, dark lord appeared before her on her demand. "My Queen." He bowed, a fist raised to his heart. "How may I serve you?" He glanced out of the corner of his eye at the imprisoned Jadeite.

"Take him away, and then prepare for your first mission to Earth. I will not tolerate failures, as you can see." Jadeite would only serve as a reminder to those in the kingdom to what failure meant and would not be given a similar grave.

"Yes, my Queen." He took Jadeite with him to the basement of the dark kingdom and stuffed him into a storage that was never used. "Goodbye comrade." He laughed as he shut the door to Jadeite's horrified face. "No, the queen has no use for failures or traitors. I will never be either. No girl will be able to destroy me."

---

A terrified Mamoru acted brave while depositing something he'd been working on all week into the general's uniform. He knew he only had a few seconds, and he wasn't sure what it would do to him or Sailor Moon, but he had purposely designed it so it wouldn't hit innocents, but he still needed to tweak it a little. However the brave front did not last as he scrambled for the dazed girl who had stupidly faced off a general by herself.

He pulled her out of the way and towards a gap in the planes yet to be closed, just because they were not close enough yet. It was a slim opening and they'd managed to fit through it, and then Kamen pulled her up into his arms and jumped onto the hanger closest to them and took off for safety. A blast was heard behind them, and Usagi struggled to see over his shoulder. When the smoke cleared, the planes all in the ditch she asked on a shaky voice. "Think he's dead?"

Kamen had the strangest feeling that yes, he was. "I don't know." He didn't know why he would even know, it was just a hope after all.

"Did you do that?" Usagi asked amazed. "The explosion?"

Kamen set her down on her feet, obviously she wasn't hurt if she was so curious about what he'd done. He felt the irritation rise up in him and he wanted to shake, yell and scream at her for her idiocy, but it fell to the side as she stumbled and then sat down forcefully. "Are you ok?" He asked, kneeling next to her, he hadn't missed her own explosion to get away from the general.

"Just a little hungry." She admitted as her stomach grumbled. He laughed and pulled out a chocolate bar. It was good for shock and low energy levels, that and he just liked them. "Thank you." She whispered as she took a bite off the corner.

"Would you mind explaining to me why I'd just had to save you from a fight you were alone in?" He looked to see if her senshi were now joining them, later than any occasion which they'd put on her the same fault, but they didn't.

"They don't know about it, and are probably off fighting their own youmas. Jadeite said he'd sent enough to confusion them. Maybe that's why they haven't called me to join them, because they know they all are needed to face their own?" Usagi patted around for her communicator, and then realized it was sitting on her bedside table, purposely left there, so she wouldn't feel the need to call them into the fight and then have them die as well.

"No luck?" Mamoru questioned, no longer Kamen and took her hands within his. "What is wrong with you? First it's transforming without my knowledge, then its facing off very dangerous men on your own? Why would you do such a thing?"

"He knew who I was!" Usagi's face scrunched up. "I had to face him or else he'd let my identity slip to the world. I don't think he knew it was you, but he saw that we were together, and put it all together!" Usagi let go of the disguise that wasn't even worth anything and faced him as herself. She couldn't even consider herself Moon when it no longer held the armor and protection it once was, she was just a girl playing dress up with very powerful magic. She had no right to be on the battle field when she was more of a danger to herself and others than the enemy was. She was the weak link they'd be able to expose every time if they knew she couldn't transform.

"You should have told me." Mamoru raised a hand to her cheek and she leaned into it.

"I know, but he told me to come alone or he'd attack in the middle of the day. I couldn't let everyone get hurt because of me!" Usagi's hand covered his own. "I couldn't let you get exposed because of me." She looked away. "You want to know why you can't feel me transform any more?" He nodded for her to continue when her voice broke off. "It's because I _can't_ transform anymore."

"What are you saying? I just saw Moon!"

"No! It's an illusion. After the night we found out who each other were, I haven't been able to transform. I thought maybe the first time was a fluke, and every time after, I was hoping to reverse it, but I haven't gotten my senshi form back. I have been using something called a Luna Pen to make it appear like I have."

"Well that's great then!" Mamoru's face was excited. "It means you won't be fighting anymore."

"But I have to Mamo-chan!" Usagi shook her head in denial. "I don't want to fight either, but I can't just leave the girls in a lurch, and I can't tell them either. They'd never let me out of their sight if I told them the truth. They'd want to know how it happened, and would try to find a way to reverse it. Beyond all of that, Sailor Moon is part of who I am now. I just can't go back, worrying about the friends I got put into the same position I was now safely out of harm's reach of."

Mamoru sighed, and brought her close, holding her against him. "I don't like this, the enemy can injure you so much greater than the other senshi now, and you won't heal as fast."

"I'll just need you to protect me more then." Usagi was teasing, but Mamoru's chest rumbled.

"Oh, you jest, but what happens when I really will be? I am never allowing one energy blast to hit you if I can help it. I'm not allowing you to get hurt, especially not when I can do something about it." He held her away, looking her straight in the eyes. "We will figure something out, something that will allow us to remain together, for you to transform and for you to contact me _before_ arriving on scene of a battle, even before transforming." She nodded her agreement, happy that he was taking this so much better than she was when she first found out.

"Thank you Mamo-chan."

"Usako, anything for you."

The next day, when Mamoru returned to school, he headed into the registrar's office and added a Major. He'd found a calling more productive and something he was more talented at. He changed from the single major of Bio-Chemical Engineering and added plain old engineering. It gave him access to the technology lab, something he would be making use of very shortly as he worked on the broach Usagi had handed over without hesitation.

It was something that he'd never realized he had a passion for until only last night. It might not have been a passion for the mechanical, but he found that he had one for that too, but his greatest passion and concern for this change lied within the girl he was doing this all for, the reason he was even living now.

He'd find a way to protect her, even if it cost him his life, because she was so much more than that to him.

EAN: So this is finished, what did you all think? I know it's kind of open ended, sort of.... hehe... that's because it does lead into another story, sort of, mostly. But they are also together, happy... so...?

EAN2: So, I never did manage to change the title of this story and as it has served me well, I guess it'll remain until I get bored or something. It had originally been called before I even started posting: It came up so quickly.... hence the newer title of : Upon a Flash. I just thought it was funny. Now the story is complete. As promised, I think I will be having the second part the real one posted sometime in december/january... or at least started, seeing as how that one wasn't completed either. Hehe...


	9. Chapter 1 of Undressing Secrets sequel

Undressing Secrets

Hell, I don't know, 2000 perhaps? Maybe earlier? I should have started dates long before that. Computer version: Again, can't find first chapter typed up, or anything else I might have bothered with.

Computer version X-infinitate?

6 March 2010

SUM: With the ability to transform lost, Usagi must figure out another way to face the powers trying to destroy the planet, and keep her senshi from killing the man she loves.

* * *

AN: I have always meant to get this up and running and share it all with you, but it's been a project close to my heart for over ten years, not to say however that I've actually bothered to write during that time, I just started it then, and it was my favorite.

Which leads me onto my next epiphany: I love all of my stories, I really do, well... maybe not all of them, but it makes it hard for me to finish anything, because I want to work on everything all at once, and none at all at the same time. The hardest part is that when I'm done with a story, I literally forget it, I forget I wrote it and when I go back and look at my old work, I vaguely remember it, where if I leave it open ended and not completed, it's sitting in the back corner of my brain, demanding to get out and get finished because I haven't figured out the ending yet, and so I can't forget the story. However, there have been occasions where I have forgotten the story and the story line, but that's because I didn't really love it.

Then there are stories I absolutely love, but I forget where I was going with it, because I had figured something out, just hadn't written it down or left myself clues. So, it remained unfinished and left behind. Ties that Bind was that way, and then I came up with a slightly new path for it, and it's been completed, at least on one of my disks, somewhere in cyber space, as long as it hasn't been accidentally deleted in this last fall when I was trying to squeeze all disk space I had with everything else on my computer, in case it crashed again... lol, anyways, so if any of the previous has occurred with this story, and I assure you, it either has, or will, and I will eventually get back to it, key examples: Ties that Bind, Lapse in Time and, if you'd believe it: Blond Adventures... hehe... Speaking of TTB: I have to tweak it a bit, find it again to do so, and then it will be up and finished for all of you. BA: I haven't written much more than what is posted, but I will work on that, it's one of my favorite shorts, well, at least as far as I go for shorts... and it is a 2 parter. LIT: I have so much more I want to explore with it, I just haven't found time or prerogative to work on it, but seeing as how it had been 10 years since I started it, editted it, and reposted all in the same time frame, I'm doing pretty good, right? :}

AN2: This story had never meant to be a sequel or have a prequel, it was supposed to be a stand alone, and then circumstances got the better of me, and things got tied together since I liked both stories and I saw a perfect fit leading into this one, where before it had gaps in it that the audience wouldn't have understood without some type of background, at least, not with showing them it, in any case. I was intending to follow the Moon universe (anime-dub) fairly closely with just a what-if, and so I had written a lot of it, but it was my splintered anime viewing, as I had only the dic tapes, and not all episodes ever aired, I don't even have them, they were rented at the time, and so this may or may not follow it exactly or at all in some cases and for that I apologize. It may also not even be exactly comprehensive with Upon a Flash, as details may be tweaked or different, ie Venus & possibly Jupiter, I forget at this moment... the way I had written Upon a Flash, it made more sense to do it the way I had, the way this story goes, it doesn't make as much sense to involve them yet.

I feel as if it is important to warn you, so I don't get a lot of criticism on this particular piece, that said however, Mamoru and Usagi had gotten close behind the senshi's backs, Mamoru does know about Moon/Usa and Moon can't transform any longer after a particular incident with Mamo... Jadeite is dead. Those I can say without a doubt are carry-overs from the UF, which I had added to finish it and tie into this one.

I have added the first chapter, it was never intended to start this way, and in my head it had sounded a lot better and flowed so much more between stories, but again, I had forgotten to write it down when it had been created and so I tried to draw from memory how I meant to go about doing this. I hope it is ok, I think it is a better lead in (maybe) and is partially important. (I say this, because I have yet to actually write it, as I am writing these ridiculously long ANS... :) ) So, without further ado, I will start typing up this story! Oh, and of this moment, I have not even completed it, in paper form, which luckily for you, means I might get around to finishing it on the computer and finish posting once that happens, otherwise, I might not have bothered. :P

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Chapter 1

* * *

Alone in a cool bed, with a sheet and blankets piled high on top of the man sleeping in it, it still felt obnoxiously cold. He wrapped himself up in the blankets and buried deep, because he was a guy, and he did not snuggle into the blankets, hoping his own body heat would penetrate through the cold that seemed forever wrapped around him. Never in his life, had he felt so frozen, not even on the long lonely nights he'd had as a child, without any warm memories to cling to of his own. Not until he began making his own. First it was an odd child, weak, and didn't want to be noticed by the adults and upset that he had to leave, that the city did not contain the necessity he needed to sustain his body, then with a strange young girl who gave him a rose. The memories were barren, but there after that, until he met another young boy, who became a very dear friend, who still was today. He was followed shortly after by another young girl, it wasn't for another few years that they'd met, but then again, they had known each other almost all of their lives.

He was sleeping, but he felt uncomfortable, like something was wrong, and he felt like something was completely off. That feeling shifted however to feeling completely at ease and that nothing in the world was wrong. He heard, even in his sleep the whisp of the metal of the door slide against the frame, separating the room from his balcony. He didn't rouse though, because he knew who it was, without even opening his eyes. There was a warm breeze that accompanied the intruder and he already felt warmer.

Mamoru shifted as the presence came closer, to allow more space in the bed, he heard a soft sigh as a warm hand brushed his bangs back. "Usako." He whispered, and the body slid into the bed with him, he wrapped his arms around her waist and spoke into her ear, not yet waking up past a slight rousing, and easy to slip back into it, especially with her there. "While I'm glad you're here, why have you come?"

"I had a bad dream." She admitted, slipping her arms around his waist and burying her head into his chest.

Mamoru sighed and held her even closer. "I'm sorry." He ran a hand down her back and she held on tighter. If anything, they had gotten worse over the last few weeks, since they had found out each other's identities. They were coming less frequent, if it was easy to claim that they were coming in any type of monitored frequency in the first place. "How'd you manage to get here?"

He felt Usagi's shoulders shift, as if she was going to just brush it off, but it was her rules, that kept them from going public, and if she was going to come over, she needed some type of plan so as to not get caught. "Luna's out hunting, she won't be back until tomorrow."

"Oh." Mamoru took a deep breath, her smell settling into his bones and he'd slowly drifted back into deep slumber, he'd have to make sure to wake her before dawn rose and send her back to her house. He'd follow her, but she wouldn't know about it, until he could see her enter her house, and then slip back to his own.

Usagi waited until Mamoru had fallen back asleep and looked back up into his face to watch him sleep. She felt better just being in his arms, she didn't want to go back to sleep, one thing hadn't changed since they started coming stronger, was if she had already slept during the day, the nightmares would return when she slept again. She didn't tell him that they were stronger, she hadn't slept in his arms for a very long time, or so it seemed. Since her parents had gotten home, her senshi didn't take any excuses that she needed to be there for Shingo, and made her stay the night over at each of their places. Not that she minded so much, seeing them, it just felt so odd not to be sleeping with him every night.

She didn't know why she was the only one to be suffering these dreams, even the other senshi had remarked on it that she sometimes called out in her sleep and that the dreams seemed so horrible. Perhaps they were there to warn her. But eventually, she couldn't keep her lids open and with a smile still on her face, from the peaceful expression Mamoru had on, Usagi too slipped into dream land.

* * *

Mamoru prodded Usagi awake before the day began for most of Tokyo. She moaned in objection. "This is too familiar." She batted away his hands and he leaned down to kiss her awake.

"Come on, Sleepy head, you have to get up and go home. You can sleep more there."

"No." She turned and snuggled deeper into the bed. She hadn't had any night terrors and didn't want to break the first good night's sleep for several days. She hadn't seen Mamoru for almost as long and the youma had not been attacking, not since Jadeite's death. It was an odd period of peace and she wondered if they were done, if he was really dead. "Luna's gone all day, done research." She stretched and looked up at him with a smile. "Parents are gone, and it's a Saturday."

Mamoru looked around before sinking into the bed with her, leaning over her. "Is that so?" His eyes gleamed wickedly. "So I have you to myself all day?"

"Well..." She drawled. "At least until eight, the girls want me to come watch a move with them."

"So... all day." He repeated leaning his head down and captured her lips before pulling away. "Come on, I'll make you breakfast."

He was standing up, but the next thing he knew, he was on the ground, and a light weight was on top of him. He looked up into her face, surrounded by a mane of blond hair, and there was a mischievous look upon her face. Mamoru's own face turned amused, waiting for her to make her move. She leaned further down, and for the first time, he got a real look at what she was wearing and groaned mentally. She was wearing silky shorts and a ribbed tanktop that hugged her curves and when she leaned forward like that, he caught a glimpse of the top portion of her chest. He had to fist his hands at his sides to keep from putting them on her hips and helping her relieve some of his tension that she created. "I have something better in mind for a little while." She covered his lips with hers and his hands misbehaved and slipped under the bottom hem of her top and rested them there on the taunt warm skin.

It took them a while to part from their make-out session. "Usako." He groaned, she was not only tempting in her seemingly innocent looking clothing, but it was fall weather outside, and she was not dressed for even the warmest of days, or for public, for that matter. She'd been planning on not leaving his apartment until the sun set again. "You can't do this-"

"I'll go back to my place and change and meet you somewhere." She said, pulling back a little and sitting on his stomach, her hands still by his head. "I just wanted to wake up properly, didn't you?"

Mamoru chuckled and tumbled her sideways so he was leaning over her. "I think a repeat would wake me up better." His lips bypassed hers and found her neck instead. She moaned when he found a particularly tender spot near her ear.

He completely stilled, if he wasn't careful, things would get far too out of control and they'd go too far, for both of them. "Sorry Usako, let's get something to eat?" He pulled her up and she sat at the table while he made some pancakes.

It was probably better he pulled away, her heart rate had spiked with his administrations and she wasn't an idiot, she was well aware that he was reacting to their intimate position as much as she was. In a way she was glad he pulled away, it kept her from having to do it herself, but she vaguely wondered if it would be such an issue if they didn't control their hormones. She was sixteen after all, and he wasn't much older, at nineteen. The devious thought had barely entered her mind as she saw him, half dressed in light sweat pants. It showed off his tanned skin nicely.

Usagi swirled her spoon in the hot chocolate he put in front of her, his own coffee cooling across the table from her. She was lost in thought, and Mamoru noticed. "How bad was the dream last night? Did they repeat when you came over?"

"No, and it wasn't that bad." She pushed her hair over her shoulder, so it wouldn't fall into her food when he set it in front of her and then took his place across. He started in onto his food, waiting for her to tell him what was on her mind, she'd get there, eventually. "Tomorrow I promised to go to Shingo's thing, he's trying to impress Mika with a doll he made. He blackmailed me into agreeing you'd come with."

Mamoru paused. "The doll fair?" He asked with a wince and she nodded, waiting for the reasn behind his reaction. "Rei asked me to go last week, I turned her down. If I show up and she's there anyways-"

"Rei asked you?" Usagi frowned. "I haven't heard anything about it from any of the girls. It's not exactly optimal for a date, even Rei would know that."

"Calm down." Mamoru's hand came forward and rested on hers as she tried to take a bite to eat. "I told her no, I just haven't figured out a way to tell her that I'm off the market, permanently."

Usagi smiled, but her thoughts were still on the fact that she'd been left out on something, she'd ask the others today after the movie what their plan was for Sunday. She wasn't sure if Mamoru knew yet, or figured out who the other senshi were yet, or if he even cared to bother with that knowledge. It kind of annoyed Usagi that Rei would think to bring Mamoru to something potentially dangerous, and not knowing he could handle it himself. Rei didn't like dolls, Usagi had only asked because Shingo had wanted her to go, but now she was a little leary herself of going, especially with the latest development in her powers. If there had been no attacks recently, maybe they were preparing for a larger attack. She didn't share her nerves with Mamoru, he would just be concerned and feel like he had to attend.

"Hey, I'll go with you, I just worry about running into Rei." Mamoru squeezed the hand he still held. "I want to go with you and meet your brother. I was just looking out for you and warning you."

"Thank you, Mamo-chan." She leaned across the table and gave him a chaste kiss. After breakfast she disguised herself as another person and made her way across the city, back to her room and slipped in unnoticed, changed and then took the city streets back to see Mamoru and hang out with him, during the rest of the day, until she had to split off and go see her friends, ones that were keeping something from her.


End file.
